The
Essence of.....Malta
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
Unit C, Parkhouse 14 Northfields, London SW18 |
|
Currency |
Euro |
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Capital |
Valletta |
|
Language |
Maltese, English |
|
Main Airlines |
Air Malta, Ryanair, Easyjet |
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Flying Time from UK |
3 hrs |
|
Visa |
No |
PROFILE
Although Maltese food is influenced by the country's Mediterranean neighbours Malta also boasts its own unique dishes. Patizzi, flaky pastry filled with cheese or vegetables, is famous in Malta. Lampuki, a pie made with the local dorado fish and vegetables, is one of the country's best loved dishes. Aljotta is a famous fish soup with marjoram, tomatoes, garlic and rice.
Maltese bread is known as something of an institution in itself. Traditionally the bread is made from sour dough, left over from the previous day, and is renowned for being crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Pastry is also used a lot in both savoury and sweet forms, and tarts, pies and sweet pastries are all eaten on a regular basis. Sweets are an integral part of Maltese eating. Nougat is popular, as are macaroons and the Italian influenced dessert cannoli - fried pastry rolled up and filled with ricotta and either chocolate chips or fruit.
The waters around Malta teem with fish and you'll find sea bass, stonefish, bream, red mullet, swordfish and tuna on menus around the islands. Lobsters and octopus are also extremely popular, and seafood forms an integral part of the Maltese diet. Soup and stews are eaten a lot on Malta, and rabbit stew (in either tomato or garlic sauce) is a much-loved dish.
Favourite dessert delicacies are Kannoli (tube of crispy, fried pastry filled with ricotta), Sicilian-style, semi-freddo desserts (mix of sponge, ice-cream, candied fruits and cream) and Helwa tat-Tork (sweet sugary mixture of crushed and whole almonds).
Malta may not be renowned like its larger Mediterranean neighbours for wine production, but Maltese vintages are more than holding their own at international competitions, winning several accolades in France, Italy and further afield.
International grape varieties grown on the Islands include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carignan, Chenin Blanc and Moscato. The indigenous varieties are Gellewza and Ghirghentina, which are producing some excellent wines of distinct body and flavour.