by Ylenia Year 4.1 Emerald

Traditional Maltese Food

by Ylenia Year 4.1 Emerald

Food is an important part of Maltese Culture. The Maltese are particularly fond of rabbit and many restaurants that serve traditional maltese dishes promote rabbit as being their speciality dish.

Maltese bread is well known and loved by locals and tourists alike. Its hard crust hides a very tasteful, fluffy inside – perfect for a summer’s day lunch with some sun-dried tomatoes and tune for example.

by Ylenia Year 4.1 Emerald

Pastry of all kinds is used to encase vegetables , cheese, fish, meat, rice and pasta, producing testy and filling dishes .These include lampuki pies ,spinach and anchovy pies ,timpana and the most universally eaten maltese pastry are the “pastizzi”. These are boat shaped delicacy of ricotta cheese and egg wrapped with thin crispy pastry. One may prefer also “pastizzi” filled with peas.

Stewed and stuffed dishes are also an important feature of maltese cuisine. Look for stuffed octopus, squid and cuttlefish served in tomato sauce.

by Ylenia Year 4.1 Emerald

“Bragoli”, stuffed poultry on a bed of sliced potatoes make a good main dish too. The best loved and healthy dish is probably “minestra”, a tick vegetable soup combining numerous fresh and dried vegetables served with fresh “gbejniet” – sheep or goat’s cheese.

When fish is in abundance you will find “aljotta” (fish soup). In late spring a heary soup “kusksu” and in summer a maltese version of ratatouille called “kapunata” made from tomatoes, green peppers, aubergines and garlic.

by Ylenia Year 4.1 Emerald

Sweets

For those with a sweet tooth there are a number of unusual treats to sample. Try the deep-fried date-filled pastries “imqaret”, treacle rings “qaghaq tal-ghasel” and almond macaroons “biskuttini tal-lewz”. At Easter try cut out figurines of icing coated biscuits “figolli” stuffed with a ground almond mixture.