Meeting with Jean-Etienne Venturi, artisan biscuit maker +Added to my favoriteItem already present

You chose to sell products made using ancestral recipes. What inspired you? Was the choice of a traditional ‘biscutteria’ obvious?

The primary motivation was the passion for both confectionery and tasting. Canistrelli are part of the majority of Corsicans’ daily life, so we decided to make our vision of the iconic biscuit of the island known. The ‘biscutteria’ became an obvious choice when the project took on its concrete form. The concept of an open kitchen on the street made sense when we had the chance to set it up in a pedestrian zone: Rue Napoleon in Bastia.

What different products do you sell? Have you updated any products? Where does your raw material come from?

We obviously sell biscuits, whether dry as traditional canistrelli or more cake-like such as madeleines. There’s also a daily range comprising migliacci, panette, brioches, cookies, fiadone etc  – so we’ve combined island traditions with other recipes from elsewhere. And even the canistrelli are sold in classic flavours (star anise and lemon) as well as more modern ones (candied orange, fig or coffee), or made into biscuit aperitifs! It all depends on our inspirations and the particular season. Salviate, campanili, galette des rois and gingerbread are therefore ephemeral. Homemade is imperative, and we don’t use any flavourings or additives. The raw materials used come directly from our island, even if we buy regular flour or chocolate from elsewhere. Fresh eggs, chestnut flour, fruits, brocciu and other cheeses are always from the island.

Where do your recipes come from?

They are passed down through the generations, forcing us to make small changes where needed which makes each result unique. Above all, we remain consistent with our identity!

©ATC

©ATC

©ATC

©ATC

©ATC