Maltese Cuisine

Reflecting Maltese history, Maltese cuisine shows strong Sicilian and English influences as well as influences of Spanish, Maghrebin and Provençal cuisines.

Malta's history and geography had an important influence on its cuisine.  Having to import most of its foodstuffs, lying on the most important trade crossroads, and having to cater for foreign powers who ruled the islands, opened Maltese cuisine to outside influences from very early on.  Foreign dishes and tastes were absorbed, transformed and adapted.  Thus, the geographical proximity of Sicily exerted a strong influence but the presence in Malta of the Knights of St John and, more recently, the British brought elements from further afield.

The Knights hailed from many European countries particularly France, Italy and Spain.  They brought influences from these countries.  Aljotta; for example, a fish broth with plenty of garlic, herbs and tomatoes is the Maltese adaptation of the bouillabaisse.  The Knights' contacts and wealth also brought food from the New World.  The British military presence meant a market of a garrison and their families and, later, mass tourism from the UK.  British food products, condiments and sauces like English mustard, Bovril, HP Sauce and Worchestershire sauce are still a subtle but pervasive presence in Maltese cooking.

Despite Malta's small size there are some regional variations.  The traditional Maltese fenkata (eating stewed rabbit) is often identified as the national dish.  The strongest seasonal variations are seen in desserts and sweets.

Meats:

Pork is probably the most universally eaten meat, followed by local rabbit (fenek), mainly imported beef and local chicken and turkey.  Imported lamb and veal are also popular.  Game birds like quail (summien), which are now farmed, turtle doves (gamiem) and wild pigeons (bċieċen) are also popular.  Offal and organ meats like pork liver and kidneys, tripe, brain, tongue, heart, stomach and tail also form part of the cuisine.  They are less popular today than in the past when the fine cuts of meat were not within everyone's reach.

In addition to pork dishes (such as grilled pork cuts or stuffed flank) and the exclusive predominance of pork in indigenous Maltese sausages, adding some pork to dishes such as kawlata (a vegetable soup) and ross il-forn (baked rice) have been common practice in the Maltese vernacular cuisine for centuries.

Popular meat dishes include:  Stuffat tal-fenek (rabbit stew), Fenek moqli (fried rabbit), Braġjoli (thin slices of beef pan-fried in their own juice, or in a small amount of light olive oil, served with a green salad or boiled potatoes), Laħam fuq il-fwar (steamed slices of beef), Falda Mimlija (stuffed pig flank), Laħam taż-żiemel (stallion meat fried or baked in a white wine sauce), Zalzetta tal-Malti (Maltese sausage made of pork, sea salt, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and parsley), and Mazzita (blood sauage).

Fish is much eaten on the two islands and Maltese know from experience which fish is best baked, which poached, which grilled and which fried.  Fish is often cooked and seasoned very simply but it may also be stuffed, stewed or made into pies.  Many shellfish and crustaceans are also available and very popular.

Popular dishes include: Lampuki (or mahi-mahi), Stuffat tal-Qarnit (octopus stew), Qarnit bit-tewm (octopus with garlic), Klamar mimliji (squid stuffed with rice, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic and capers and then gently stewing in red wine), and Pixxispad (marinated and grilled swordfish)

Vegetables:

Vegetables are a mainstay of Maltese cuisine.  They are used stuffed or made into stews or they may be made into soups, fritters and pies.

Popular dishes include: Qargħabali mimli (stuffed courgette or marrows), Brunġiel mimli (stuffed aubergine), Bżar mimli (stuffed peppers), Patata l-Forn (baked sliced potatoes), Kapunata, and Aljoli (a pounded garlic sauce diluted with oil which may include dry savory biscuits called "galletti" or bread, and some fresh herbs like parsley, mint or marjoram, capers, olives, anchovies, and/or tomatoes.)

Breads and Pastries:

Maltese bread is a very crusty sourdough bread loaf, with a deliciously fragrant chewy but soft inside.  It is the mainstay of a meal.  Maltese bread is best eaten fresh but cooled off, as it loses most of its taste and crunchiness within a day.  Even so, some people prefer to eat when it is straight out of the oven.  Although it can be eaten as accompaniment to food and with a variety of fillings, the typical and favorite way to eat it is after it has been rubbed with tomatoes or tomato paste, drizzled with olive oil and filled with a choice or mix of tuna, olives, capers, bigilla and Ġbejniet.  There is also a low rise, less crusty and more compact flatbread called Ftira.

Popular savory pastries include: Torta tal-Irkotta (ricotta pie), Sfineġ (vegetable, fish or cheese fritters), Pastizzi (cheesecakes or peacakes), Qassatat (snack made with shortcrust pastry, traditionally filled with ricotta, peas, spinach and anchovies), and Torta tar-ross u l-qargħa ħamra (rice and pumpkin pie).

Popular sweets include: Qagħaqa tal-ħmira (soft sweet bagel shape cake with a hint of aniseed, topped with sesame seeds), Torta tat-tamal (date and cocoa tart), Torta tal-marmorat (almond and chocolate pie), Ħelwa tat-Tork (nut studded sesame seed and tahini-based block confection), and Pudina tal-ħobż (baked bread pudding with raisins and cocoa powder).

Beverages:

Coffee scented with a piece of stick cinnamon is a popular beverage.  Other spices like cloves and anis seeds are used singly or together to flavour Kafè Msajjar or "cooked" coffee, which may also be perfumed with orange blossom water or chicory.

Kinnie is a non-alcoholic, mildy and pleasantly bitter soft drink created in 1952 that is very popular and refreshing.  Made from a citrus fruit called chinò and aromatic herbs, it is caramel in color.