Description
The Clémentine de Corse PGI is a citrus fruit belonging to the species Citrus Clementina.
Production Area
The production area of the Clémentine de Corse PGI includes the territory of several municipal areas of Upper Corsica and Lower Corsica departments, which make up the island of Corsica.
Production Method
Clementine trees are pruned each year; whereas fertilisation and irrigation are adjusted based on regularly assessed agronomic and analytic parameters. The fruit is harvested as soon as it has attained its typical colour and optimum ripening on the tree. The fruit is picked up with its leaves to guarantee freshness. Once the fruit has been picked, it may not be treated chemically. The use of colour enhancers is prohibited. At the packaging stage the citrus are merely coated in natural wax, measured and selected to comply with the quality standards.
Appearance and Flavour
The Clémentine de Corse PGI has a reddish-orange skin with up to 1/5 of the surface area of green. Weight varies from medium to light, with a maximum cross-section diameter between 46 and 68 mm. The product is characterised by an acid flavour.
History
The Clémentine de Corse PGI origins are related to ancient roots of the citrus production in Corsica. Some authors date its introduction from the very beginning of the Christian era with orchards situated especially on the terraces of the east coast foothills. When the Clementine tree was discovered in Algeria in the 1920s, several plants were brought to Corsica and planted there. Thereafter, thanks to detailed technical and economic studies conducted by the San Giuliano Agricultural Research Station, set up in Corsica at the end of the 1950s, it was demonstrated that the Clementine tree should be given the pride of place in citrus-growing in this region.
Gastronomy
The Clementines must be kept in dry and fresh places. They are consumed fresh or as an ingredient of several dishes. Clémentine de Corse PGI is extremely versatile; it can be tasted raw, cooked, grilled or in jams. It can be used to season meat and poultry, with a sauce made up with some segments quickly sautéed with butter in a pan and then diluting the sauce with clementine juice and honey. The cooking must be finished and the sauce removed from the heat. It is optimum in salads, with fresh fennel, grilled almond and salmon cubes. With the juice and the segments, a maize porridge is cooked and once it is cold, small pieces of chocolate and other clementine segments are added. It is highly used for the preparation of sweets, ice-cream, cakes and jams.
Marketing
The product is sold as Clémentine de Corse PGI. It is marketed loose or packed in suitable containers of different weight.
Distinctive Features
The maritime influence and the presence of neighbouring mountains confer the production area of Clémentine de Corse PGI a special climate translated in moderate temperatures, high pluviometry and hygrometry, which help to produce a fruit with a specific colour and taste: more acid and less sweet.
