Malta Food & Eating Guide

Food & Eating Guide

The cuisine of Malta is typically Mediterranean, similar to Italy but with more regional flavours based on seasonal produce and an abundance of fresh seafood. Everyday Maltese food is humble and simple with a strong vegetable and fish focus. A typical celebratory meal is ‘fenkata’ which is marinated rabbit in wine and bay leaves. Rabbit is a common meat used in pasta sauces and stews, or fried and served with vegetables. Some other Maltese specialties include ‘pastizzi’ (small savoury pastries with cheese or anchovies), ‘soppa ta’l-armla’ (vegetables cooked in thick tomato soup), ‘gbejna’ (goat’s milk cheese from Gozo), and ‘bragioli’ (beef stuffed with bacon and boiled eggs and simmered in red wine).

It is a common sight to see pumpkins ripening on the roofs of houses in Malta. Delicious blood oranges available between November and March are a must-taste part of Maltese fresh produce. The waterfront cafes and seafood restaurants of St Julian’s Bay offer scrumptious Maltese and international fare and the perfect place to experience a stunning Maltese sunset.

‘Cisk’ (pronounced chisk) is the local beer, a sweeter and cheaper lager than many found in Europe. A famous Maltese softdrink is ‘Kinnie’ which is make from bitter oranges. There are some locally-made wines which are inexpensive and quite palatable. Most high quality wines are imported from Italy, Spain or France and are costly compared to the local varieties. The legal drinking age in Malta is 16 and if you wish to purchase alcohol you have to be 17 and able to provide proof of age.