Maltese food is rustic in character, full of the flavour and colour typical of a central Mediterranean Island. Food portions are usually large and you will certainly not be hungry! Our food is influenced by Malta’s proximity to Sicily and North Africa but with a special slant all our own.
  
Traditional food accompanies us through life; a glass of smooth local wine with friends in a village bar comes with a dish of olives, some gbejniet (local sheep’s cheeses), zalzett (coriander flavoured Maltese sausage) with galletti (Maltese crackers) and some bigilla (broad bean pate) served with Maltese bread and olive oil; or on a cold day hot pastizzi (savoury ricotta filled pastries) are perfect with wine or coffee. 
 

Summer days at the beach means hobs biz-zejt, a popular snack made from a thick slice of crusty Maltese bread, rubbed with juicy, red tomatoes and topped with mint, a little onion, sheep’s cheese and anchovies all soaked in delicious green olive oil; a taste of sunshine, a taste of Malta.
 
Cold winter nights bring on bowls of golden minestra, a very thick vegetable soup served with Maltese bread and oil. Fish, fresh from the surrounding Mediterranean Sea, plainly cooked is a consistent feature of our cuisine, especially aljotta, a delicious garlicky fish soup.
 
Summer village festivals produce sweet street foods like imqaret (date pastries) and Qubbajt (nougat) to enjoy along with the fireworks and processions. Special family meals bring on serious dishes like Ross fil-forn, (Baked Rice), Imqarrun (baked Macaroni) or Timpana (a very special rich pasta baked in a pastry case) often followed by rabbit or meat dishes served with Maltese potatoes and vegetables.
 
Desserts depend on the occasion; Easter Figolli (almond stuffed pastry figures), Christmas qaghaq tal-ghasel (honey rings), or simply a Cassata, (ricotta filled sponge with marzipan) some Cannoli, (Ricotta filled fried pastries) or another of the many traditional desserts, and sweet biscuits are popular snacks, perfect with a cup of strong coffee.

  

 

No Mediterranean meal is complete without a robust red or chilled, crisp white wine as accompaniment.  And there is nothing better to accompany local Maltese dishes than a wine produced on the Islands.

Malta may not be renowned like its larger Mediterranean neighbours for wine production, but Maltese vintages are more than holding their own at international competition, winning several accolades in France, Italy and further afield.

International grape varieties grown here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carignan, Chenin Blanc and Moscato.  Then there are the indigenous varieties, Gellewza and Ghirghentina, which are producing some excellent wines of distinct body and flavour.

Grapes grown in Malta’s hot and humid climate ripen much quicker than their counterparts further north.  Wineries are careful to grow varieties suited to the distinct limestone terroir.  Soil samples are sent to leading European experts to assess which varieties will thrive here.

The efforts of the past couple of decades are reaping rewards for the local wine industry.  Several local wines are found on UK supermarket shelves and deservedly so.  Northern European markets are just beginning to discover the secret of Maltese wines.

If wine is your hobby, passion or favourite accompaniment to a sociable meal, the Maltese Islands have plenty to offer.