Maltese Cuisine
Maltese cuisine is a fusion cuisine avant la lettre — centuries before the term was invented, the Maltese mixed Arabic, Sicilian, North African, and British influences into a unique culinary tradition. The base: fresh fish, rabbit, tomatoes, capers, olive oil, garlic, and the aromatic herbs that grow wild on the cliffs.
The Classics
- Pastizzi: Malta's unofficial national dish and the perfect snack for 0.50€. Puff pastry filled with ricotta (tal-irkotta) or pea puree (tal-piżelli). Fresh from the oven in a pastizzeria — crispy, hot, addictive. At any time of day, but especially good for breakfast with a glass of tea.
- Fenek (Rabbit): The Maltese national dish. Rabbit is stewed (stuffat tal-fenek), fried (moqli), or served as a sauce over spaghetti. The Sunday rabbit meal with the family is sacred. Best in rural restaurants inland.
- Aljotta: Maltese fish soup with tomatoes, garlic, marjoram, and fresh fish. Lighter than bouillabaisse, intense in flavor. Perfect in Marsaxlokk.
- Braġioli (Beef Olives): Thin beef rolls filled with minced meat, bacon, egg, and herbs, braised in tomato sauce. A Sunday classic.
- Ħobż biż-żejt: Maltese farmhouse bread, rubbed with ripe tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, topped with capers, olives, tuna, and fresh Ġbejna cheese. The perfect summer lunch.
- Bigilla: A dip made from dried beans with garlic, chili, and herbs — Malta's answer to hummus. As a starter with fresh bread.
- Lampuki: Dorado — Malta's most popular fish, seasonal from September to December. Grilled, fried, or as Lampuki Pie (pie with spinach and olives).
Sweets
- Imqaret: Fried pastries filled with date paste and anise liqueur. The classic finish to a Maltese meal.
- Kannoli: Like in Sicily — crispy tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream. Malta's version is slightly smaller and less sweet than the Sicilian one.
- Qaghaq tal-Ghasel: Ring-shaped pastries filled with a sweet paste of citrus, almonds, and spices. Traditionally for Christmas, but available year-round.
