Country Article / Postcards

Secrets of the Maltese grannies

Date: 03/05/2007

If you think that the island nation of Malta has no cuisine of its own, and that the locals lazily copy the menus of their European neighbors, prepare to be enlightened. This false impression came about because the Maltese traditionally do not dine outside their homes and many restaurants don't bother to serve local dishes (believing that the vast majority of tourists fear sampling anything other than what they'd see back home).

Traced to the Phoenicians
To discover the secrets of Maltese cuisine for yourself, leave behind the tourist paths and look for old buildings with worn tiles and geranium-filled walls. Ignore signs touting dishes cooked “like mom’s”—watch for spots where the food served is “like grandma’s.” The older generation are the guardians of Malta’s culinary traditions and are responsible for the mouth-watering smells that waft through the island's little villages.

Recommended local restaurant The Medina Restaurant inside the walled city of Mdina, the island's medieval capital, is a Norman residence with arches. A pair of fireplaces keeps diners warm in winter: otherwise, you eat outdoors under the oleander in the courtyard, in the shadow of a stone fountain. The wide selection on the menu ranges from roasted quail to cured swordfish and oatmeal-crusted lamb.

The oldest island dish, traced to the Phoenicians, is called Ross-fil Forn and consists of rice, meat, and eggs. The addition of tomatoes was made at a later date.
Crisp salads and succulent vegetables are a given, as well as goat and sheep products such as fresh, half-dried, or peppered cheeses, and you'll discover a rich variety of fish dishes. Snails are not cooked French-style (where the gourmet picks them one-by-one out of their shells), but are part of a hearty stew that comes with a garlicky green sauce of fresh herbs and warmed loaves of bread.

The pleasures of pastizzi

Dessert often features fresh fruit, which is widely available. In fact, the Maltese are so proud of the quality of their fruits (the cactus figs are reputed to be the best in the world) that officials or high-ranking visitors are greeted with fruit baskets.
Other desserts include imqarets, pastries from the island’s Arabic heritage, filled with dates, baked in the best quality oil and eaten warm. If they're not available, ask for honey donuts or almond cakes. If there's a festivity when you visit, make sure to order kannoly sweets, served only during special holiday seasons. Pastizzi (see photo) are mini flaky pastry pockets. These are filled with ricotta cheese, but they can also be stuffed with vegetables such as spinach or mashed peas.

Best time to visit Malta?
Visit during Carnival time (in February) or during the Jazz Festival, which runs from July 20-22.