Classic Maltese Food is so full of flavour! The Maltese love their cuisine which reflects its history showing strong Sicilian and English influences, Spanish, French, Maghrebin, Provençal, and other Mediterranean cuisines. Rich in a blend of Mediterranean flavours the classic Maltese food is genuinely healthy, simple and delicious but fairly calorie-dense to put it mildly. Be sure to check the Malta First Time Visitors Essential Tips!
Being a country surrounded by the sea, fish is traditionally the most popularly used protein, although beef and pork also feature in a few of the most popular classic Maltese food. It is certain that passion, love and dedication are the key ingredients. Very popular is the stewed rabbit considered by several as the national dish. Check the list of the most popular classic Maltese food below, starting with the popular street food and snacks.
Fitra
The local Maltese bread –called Ftira, usually served with a dibbing of oil, tomato paste and a filling of tuna fish salad.
Classic Maltese Food
Pastizzi
The most popular snack in fluffy pastry formation stuffed served with a variety of fillings, mostly with ricotta cheese or paste of peas.
Qassatat
Stuffed with either ricotta cheese or a paste of peas, spinach and herbs, but you can also come across it as a traditional Easter dish, topped with anchovies.
Hobz biz-zejt
A snack to be tried, the Hobz biz-zejt is a round bread dipped in olive oil, rubbed with ripe tomatoes and filled with a mix of tuna, onion, garlic, tomatoes and capers.
Classic Maltese Food
Arancini (Finger Food)
Balls of tomato-flavoured rice with a breaded crust.
Bigilla
This is a traditional dried bean dip. Beans are boiled and the ingredients –garlic cloves, parsley, chilly and balsamic vinegar, olive oil seasoning. Stir if chilled and add some hot water. It is yummy and is nicely served with galletti or crudités* either warm or cold.
Classic Malteese Salad
It comes with eggplant/aubergine, ham, sausage, olives, capers and sun dried tomatoes and upon request, you can find it topped with sheep or goat’s cheese. Very refreshing and yummy especially in the summertime.
Classic Maltese Food
Soups
Soups in Malta are not necessarily starters. Frequently they are eaten as supper with a poached egg or a Gbejniet (sheep or goat’s cheese to make it more substantial. The Kapunata is the Maltese version of ratatouille (vegetable soup) which includes a small round of this type of cheese mentioned above. It is a popular summer dish made from fresh tomatoes, capers, aubergines and green peppers.
Pasta
You can find a lot of Pasta in restaurants although Maltese are not too fond of it. Lunette Pasta, and Cheese Ravioli, filled with ricotta cheese, sometimes they add truffle, butter pea and pistachio.
Timpana
Another popular pasta-oven dish similar to Greek ‘Pastitsio’. Adapted from Sicilian cuisine, prepared with penne-shaped pasta blended in a rich tomato and minced meat sauce mixed with eggs and cheese. Let’s be honest. It is macaroni enclosed in a pastry. The mixture is wrapped in a shortcrust pastry and topped off with a flaky puff pastry.
Classic Maltese Food
Fish
A trip to the Marsaxlokk fish market on Sunday morning will show you just how varied the fish catch is in Maltese waters. Depending on the season you will see all kind of Mediterranean fish and Octopus and Squid are quite often used to make some rich stews and pasta sauces.
Torta tal-Lampuki
A shimmering silver and golden fish that swims between Malta and the island of Gozo from August till the beginning of November you will find it fresh in the market and is cooked in different ways. Shallow-fried, oven baked, generally with a rich tomato sauce mixed with capers, onions, olives and fresh herbs. The locals’ favourite way to cook ‘lampuki’ is to make a pie with it, combined with spinach, olives and other ingredients depending on preference.
Classic Maltese Food
Fenkata (Rabbit Stew)
Affordable in the Middle Ages the rabbit was considered the beef of the lower classes. The dish became popular after the lifting of the hunting ban in the late 18th century, and today it is a rabbit recipe that claims the title of ‘national dish’. A fenkata would typically consist of two courses – the first dish would be a huge bowl of spaghetti tossed in a rabbit ragu, wine and herbs. The second dish would be the actual rabbit meat cooked in a similar sauce, served with peas and fries.
Maltese Dessert
Savoury dishes make up for the massive part of Maltese cuisine, although the Maltese unquestionably know how to work with pastries and patisseries. There are not many sweet dishes and desserts as locals prefer fresh fruit or local cheeses. The majority of what we see in Malta are similar to those served in Sicily.
Gagħaq tal-għasel (treacle or honey rings)
The honey ring is a traditional Maltese sweet, widely associated with the Carnival and Christmas time. It is a ring pastry filled with qastanija, a mixture of marmalade, sugar, lemon, oranges, mixed spices, cinnamon, vanilla and syrup.
Pudina Tal-ħobż
The base of this pudding is stale bread to soak and turned into a sweet with the addition of sultanas, candied peel and chocolate to sweeten up the taste.
Christmas Log
A mixture of crushed biscuits, dried cherries, nuts and liqueur in condensed milk, then rolled in the shape of a log and coated in melted chocolate. Kept in the refrigerator overnight and served in round slices at the end of Christmas lunch.
Kwareżimal
A kind of biscuit with no eggs or butter ideal for days of fasting and not only, in demand around Easter. Similar to the Greek ‘melomakarona’ but instead of walnuts the Maltese use almonds, honey and spices. In Malta they serve them hot, contrary to Greece, and they are topped either with chopped roasted almonds or a thread of honey.
Kannoli (ricotta-filled cornets)
Deeply fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta. You can also find it with candied peel and icing on top. You can find them in fine cafés on the island and are mostly served on Sundays and public holidays.
Wines
Malta has enormous for its size selection of white, red and rosé wines to choose from and an emerging wine region that enjoys increasing international attention. Recommended, particularly special wines are boutique wines produced in small quantities, one of which is the Pinot Noir of Malta –nose of violets and a broad palate of plum and cherry fruit, with an intriguing touch of liquorish. The second is a delicately sparkling pink wine labelled as Delicata’s Ġellewża Frizzante, which brims with strawberry flavours and plenty of zing.
You can buy Maltese wine in Malta from the Park Towers supermarkets in St. Julian’s and St. Venera where they stock a wide variety of different brands or the Duty-Free shop of the Malta International Airport.
