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MALTA ISLAND - TRADITIONAL FOOD

The Maltese use pastry a lot, filled with vegetables, cheese, fish, meat, rice and pasta dishes appreciated for their taste and filling. These may include a delicate combination of cauliflower, sheep or goat cheese and eggs, all in a crisp pastry, or lampuki pie, a mixture of spinach, cauliflower, peanuts in a thin pastry with a funny but delicious taste.

One speciality is spinach pie and fish which are very spicy, or tambourines: a mixture of pasta with meat sauce and whipping, a very popular dish.

The Maltese simply adore "pastizzi"; a delicious dish which is probably of Turkish origin. It is filled with cheese and eggs, peas and other vegetables, and sardines for meat eaters. Pastizzi is sold both in the streets and in bars and cafes and it is usually eaten hot, as the locals' favorite snack.

A huge variety of food is eaten in this country, either cooked or stuffed. You'll find octopus, cuttlefish or squid stuffed with spicy tomato sauce - rabbit dish in wine and spices or broccoli "- pieces of meat, boiled eggs chopped to pieces, bread croutons and parsley, all wrapped in thin slices of meat and cooked for a long time.

Some customers may prefer stuffed birds, minced meat with spices and olive oil.

Maltese cuisine has much in common with the Sicilian cuisine, and as the distance between the two islands is just over 100 km, climatic conditions being similar, such similarities are not surprising. Pasta is very common in the Maltese culinary art in various forms. It can be bought, but many women prefer to prepare it at home and it is called "ravjul" (ravioli).

"Ravjul" is a kind of delicious pastry crescent-shaped pasta with a cheese mixture inside and parsley, served with tomato sauce, seasoned with celery, basil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan. Maltese experts argue it has appeared as a reaction to the interdiction to eat meat on Fridays imposed by the Catholic church.

In the past, due to lack of firewood, Maltese culinary art had to adapt, as slowly cooked foods were consuming little wood. A vessel, usually made of clay, was placed over a small Vietri stone, called "Kenur" which appears to be constantly supervising.

Cooking at low heat has become a mark of Maltese cuisine, and even now the Maltese uses modern stoves, prepare traditional foods like centuries ago. In the past since there were too few families who had the luxury of an oven, dishes for lunch on Sunday were taken to the village common oven.

Each vessel had a small metal plate on which was written the name of the family. The baker had to ensure that each dish was well cooked. Tradition is still kept nowadays and the homeowners argue that the taste of the dish is excellent.

One of the dishes prepared in this way is "ross fil-force", a mixture of rice, minced meat and tomato sauce.

Seasonal salads and vegetables in turn play an important role in Maltese cuisine. The most loved and perhaps the most healthy way is a thick vegetable soup that combines fresh and preserved vegetables, served alone or with "gb ejniet (goat or sheep cheese) called " minestra" which would not be missed by any tourist. A thick vegetable soup is another "qarabali.
Those who prefer fish will have a pleasant surprise in Malta, were for more than one hundred years it has been a favorite dish. Here we prepare "anjotta", a fish soup with garlic, tomatoes, rice, and marjoram. In late spring green beans begin to appear. They are used for cooking a thicker soup called "kusksu" which consists of beans cooked with onions and crushed tomatoes, pasta and cheese.

During the summer the Maltese prepare a local version of ratatouille called "kapunata" for which one needs tomatoes, peppers and garlic, which go well with grilled fish. All these delicious dishes go well with traditional Maltese bread - "hobza", besides the usual bread and you will find "hobz zejt biz" (bread with oil).

It is a traditional specialty: a great piece of round bread, soaked in olive oil and rubbed with fresh tomato, then covered with olives, capers, garlic, black pepper and salt. Some prefer to add more meat and spices. Often small portions of "hobz zejt biz" ar served with appetizers in restaurants.
Besides the above, the Maltese did not reject any more unusual dishes such as snails, which are picked up and cooked in autumn. Most often they are boiled with garlic and served cold with a sauce of herbs and spices.

No sweets lovers have been forgotten. They can taste "imqaret" (a pastry "or" tall-ghasel qaghaq (a kind of pretzels) or "tall-lewz biskuttini". During Easter celebrations they serve biscuits with glaze and almond filling, called "figolli".

During the summer, when every village celebrates its saint, retailers offer another specialty, traditional nougat, with nuts of different colors.
Those who want to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, can do that with a "kannoli", a specialty of Sicilian origin, absolutely delicious: a tube-shaped thin dough filled with sweetened ricotta, pieces of chocolate, candy and fruit. After dinner locals often have "Helwa tat-Tork", a mixture of crushed almonds with lots of sugar.

Maltese prefer such products in preference to traditional desserts and sweets, difficult to produce due to lack of ingredients, and many restaurants prefer to keep the tradition. Some places offer ice cream cakes, but traditional recipes are preferred.

Those who prefer fruit, may choose peaches, melons, apricots, nectarines, pears, grapes, citrus and many others.
Maltese wines are cheap, and many have excellent quality, those in Gozo are much stronger. Those who prefer beer will find good local brands.

There are countless restaurants, from the luxurious to the simple and welcoming, and even if prices differ, the Maltese economy is doing well, and each guest is welcomed with open arms.

Malta Island - Discover - Enjoy - Perfect vacation for everyone