MALTESE FOOD

Maltese food is very rustic in character and full of flavour.  Being only 93 kilometres from Sicily and close to North Africa, our food can't help being influenced by these countries. It is typically Mediterranean in its colouring and flavours and relies on the use of local ingredients.  Olives, garlic, tomatoes, celery and capers are all to be found in plentiful supply and have made their way into a variety of local dishes.  Rabbit and fish are also staples of the local diet and are served in soups and pasta dishes or fried, stewed or baked as a main course.  Meals are normally accompanied by freshly-made Maltese bread and are best enjoyed with the accompaniment of local wine. 

Snacks and Starters

Holiday-makers and English Language Students alike must sample Maltese bread (ħobza) smeared with good olive oil or with  bigilla (broad bean paté). We also have wonderful crackers called galletti, which are lovely eaten with local goats’ cheese ( ġbejniet). Another delicious snack are pastizzi (ricotta cheese or pea filling in pastry), which can be purchased for a few cents from the many Pastizzerias in every village.

In summer every visitor must try the mouth-watering ħobż biż-żejt which is thick Maltese bread rubbed with juicy red tomatoes, topped with mint and a little onion, and then dunked in green olive oil, although there are many variations to this standard recipe.

Soups  

A wonderful hearty Maltese soup, which originated from Italy, is golden Minestra. Using a mixture of vegetables including carrots, onions, tomatoes, marrows, courgettes, pasta and stock, it is a must for a cold winter's day. Another soup that Maltese and tourists love is Aljotta (a garlic fish soup) with onions, tomatoes, rice, herbs and fish.

Pasta

Being in close proximity to Italy, pasta dishes are in abundance in Malta. A favourite of the Maltese at lunchtime is Baked Macaroni (Imqarrun). Macaroni, minced beef and a sprinkling of cheese are baked in the oven. Baked Rice (Ross fil-forn) is similar to the macaroni dish but uses rice instead of pasta.

Another delicious Maltese dish is Timpana which is a rich pasta dish consisting of savoury baked pasta within a pastry case. A very popular pasta dish in Malta is spaghetti with rabbit (Fenek) sauce.

Main Meals

If you had to ask most Maltese people what our national dish is, they would probably answer that it’s rabbit.  A traditional rabbit meal (Fenkata) consists of rabbit stew which is made by simmering pieces of rabbit with wine and garlic until tender.

Octopus Stew (Stuffat Tal-Qarnit) is a fish dish that should be tried by everyone visiting Malta. The octopus must be cooked for a long time at a low heat to ensure it is tender and tastes delicious. For Sunday lunch, the Maltese love Majjal fil-Forn - pork roasted in the oven with potatoes, onions and fennel seeds which smells fantastic and tastes even better!!

A truly wonderful meaty dish, which is usually enjoyed by all who try it, is Braġjoli or Beef Olives. Thin strips of beef are wrapped round a stuffing that is made from Maltese sausage and eggs. Beef gravy and onions are poured over the dish and the result is an extremely tasty, hearty meal.

Fish

The best places to buy freshly caught fish are the traditional fishing-villages of St. Paul’s Bay in the north of Malta and Marsaxlokk in the south. Every Sunday morning the fish market at Marsaxlookk attracts crowds of visitors. Restaurants have a wide range of fish on their menu including:

Spinotta (Bass), Dott (Stone Bass), Ċerna (Grouper), Dentiċi (Dentix), Aċċjola (Amberjack), Sargu (White Bream), Trill (Red Mullet)

In August the following are caught on a daily basis:

Pixxispad  (Swordfish), Lampuki (Dorado), Fanfri (Pilot Fish)

Lampuki is plentiful in the Maltese seas and is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.  It is in season in late August and September and is served fried, baked and in pies.

Desserts

Imqaret or Date Pastries consist of puff pastry filled with dates and then deep-fried. They have a wonderful taste that is typically Maltese and can be bought at many shops and stalls.

Qubbajt or Nougat comes in many colours and flavours and is popular with Maltese and tourists alike.

Many of our desserts originate from Sicily and are mainly eaten on religious feast days. The best known example is probably Figolli which consist of pastry shapes filled with marzipan and then iced in different colours. Figolli are eaten at Easter.

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