1. Maltese Sausage: Maybe it’s because I’ve recently returned from a Muslim country where pork is hard to come by, I don’t know. But that first pasta with Maltese sausage just tasted absolutely delicious. In fact they’ve been a favourite of mine since I first came to the island. I don’t know whether it’s the garlic, the coriander or the rosemary, but they just taste great. And speaking from my vast experience on the subject, it’s a shame more local restaurants don’t include Maltese sausages in their English breakfasts.
2. Cisk: I have to say Cisk really, although Hopleaf is certainly worth investigating too. A hot country needs a good local lager, and Cisk is the one. (Dear Cisk Marketing Person, please contact me here to obtain details on where to forward giant crate of Cisk. Kind Regards, David)
3. Ftira: Crunchy, crusty and delicious Maltese bread. Not for the loose-toothed.
4. Pastizzi: Ridiculously cheap, tasty and filling, and as such, a life-saver for the vegan backpacker. Pea, Ricotta Cheese and Spinach are favoured varieties, but don’t worry meat-lovers as you will find plenty of pork-based options in the same pastizzeria.
5. Rabbit: On an island too crowded with people to allow for hefty livestock, the rabbit hops up the meaty queue. Years of experience have taught the Maltese some pretty decent ways to serve up this normally unappetising meat.
6. Wine: Malta does not have much of an international reputation for wine, but perhaps they deserve a little bit more respect. There are a couple of companies here producing some very nice fermented grape juice, I suggest you give them a try (especially the red)
7. Sheep’s Cheese: Gbejna is the name of this local delicacy – don’t ask me to pronounce it, I’ve only been here for two years. Tastes good with number three though.
8. Lampuki: It’s the most popular/traditional Maltese fish dish, and so certainly worth ordering for that reason if nothing else. Doesn’t taste tremendously different to a whole lot of other fish to me, but what do I know?
9. Kinnie: Mentioned elsewhere on these pages, you have to try Kinnie while you’re over here. You almost certainly won’t like it, but you have to try it. Kinnie just about beats the snails, but it’s a close run thing. (Dear Kinnie Marketing Person, …actually, don’t worry about it.)
10. Snails: France isn’t the only country to decide that eating slugs with a helmet is a sensible notion, so why not tick that particular box here instead? They taste of the sauce they are cooked in and won’t kill you. I could also include horse in this section, but some people are even more disturbed by that particular local delicacy.
Have I omitted your favourite Maltese delicacy? Comment below and Tell the People.
Share this:
Agh I cannot stand Maltese sausage! They are too over powering for me personally, one bite is really nice but that’s about all I can take.
I like ftira but I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve cut the roof of my mouth on them!
Rabbit, snails and sheeps cheese I like a lot- I never thought I’d be a fan of the first two but they’re definitely worth trying.
Great list, I’ve not tried Lampuki I’ll have to give it a go but I can’t tell cod from haddock so I’m sure it’ll be the same to me too!
Yeah those sausages aren’t to all tastes, but I like ’em. Too be honest, if you told me I had to live for a month on just the first three in the list, I wouldn’t complain. Throw in the goat’s cheese and I’d make it 2 months. Snails – not so much.