10 Mouth-Watering Dishes to Try in Malta

11 Aug 2016 by Olga Brighton

Travelling to Malta

Hungry for Maltese food? What do they like to eat? Try some of these delicious foods to try in Malta and you won’t be disappointed!

1. Pastizzi

Pick up one of these incredible flaky pastry parcels from any Pastizzeria. They are typically filled with ricotta or mushy peas, which makes them an unusual but very tasty treat and cheap at the price! This little diamond shaped comfort food will pleasantly surprise even pea-haters.

2. Torta Tal-Lampuki (Fish Pie)

When in Malta, try this golden crusty delight of a dish. It consists of pastry, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, olives, walnuts, sultanas, and most importantly, Lampuki. Also known as the dolphin fish, this is one of the nations’ favourites and most popular fish dishes. It is not so easy to come across this fish outside of Malta so when you come be sure to try this wholesome flavourful dish.

3. Fenkata (Rabbit Stew)

This is actually not one but two courses. First will come a herby mountain of spaghetti tossed with a sauce made from rabbit, onions, tomato puree and red wine. The next dish is the rabbit meat in a sauce similar to the first, but this meal is served with peas and home-made chips. You will not look at a rabbit the same way again.

4. Kapunata

If you are looking for a vegetable dish in Malta, look no further. Kapunata is a mix of cooked green peppers, tomatoes, onions, aubergine, capers, olives and garlic. It is the Maltese version of ratatouille which can be eaten hot or cold, and with bread. Other vegetables and dried fruits can be added at will.

5. Widow’s Soup

Its name suggests its origins where perhaps widows would make this soup with cheaper, readily available vegetables. Made with potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower and other vegetables of choice you will love the variety of flavours. It comes mixed together with kunserva, which is tomato paste and topped off with either a poached egg to fill it out a bit, or they put a Maltese “cheeselet” called ġbejna on top.

6. Aljotta (Fish Soup)

This soup is not only delicious but filling! The Maltese give generous portions. Not only is it thick with just the right amount of herbs but there are also chunks of fish that sink to the bottom. Well worth trying for fish lovers.

7. Timpana

This amazing pasta dish consists of macaroni encased in pastry. Prepared with penne pasta, tomato and minced meat sauce, eggs and cheese are mixed in, then everything is enveloped in shortcrust pasty with puff pastry on top… This dish will ruin your diet but you will not care!

8. Ftira

For about £4 you can buy a Ftira from a street vendor. This is well worth the money. It is called a pizza but it is unlike any pizza I have ever seen. For one, the dough edges are doubled back on themselves and sometimes being dressed with onions. It also has potatoes on it. Yes potatoes! What a wonderful use of the vegetable. After letting the dough settle for 2.5 hours it is cooked in a wood oven at 250°C.

9. Ravjul

You will love this simple yet traditional ravioli if you are a pasta lover. In Malta they make it with Ġbejna cheeselets which you can’t seem to get very easily outside of Malta, so try it while you are there. You will love the sauce made from diced chunky tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and seasonings.

10. The Maltese Kassata

A sponge cake filled with ricotta and finished with marzipan that is coloured green, this is intriguing for all the sweet-toothed people visiting Malta. Inside the ricotta filling lies chocolate chips, vanilla, candied fruit, lemon rind and nuts. It is typical to sprinkle it with vermouth and decorate it with melted chocolate, candied peel or fruit created out of marzipan. A sensational desert!

Hopefully, you have some ideas now as to the mouth watering treats that you will lucky enough to come across when visiting Malta. Make sure you plan your trip and stay secure by obtaining Comprehensive Travel Insurance, and enjoy working your way through the menu!

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