Malta is coming into its own in the food and wine scene. Although pasta is a mainstay, there are plenty of original Maltese foods that play a big role in the culture. Pastizzi is a flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese or mushy peas. Imqaret is a date filled pastry fried to a crispy bronze. Timpana is baked macaroni in a flaky pastry. Bigilla is a tic bean paste. Maltese bread is a rustic, crusty loaf. Gozo is known for its peppered “cheeselets”. Rabbit stew is a traditional feast. Wines are getting better all the time with Chardonnay’s, Girgentina (native grape), Shiraz’, and Cabernet Sauvignon’s the dominant variety.

A common lunchtime meal is a Maltese platter with sliced sausage, bigilla, olives, cheeselets, and sundried tomatoes, all locally produced.  Our favorite Maltese food has to be pastizzi with its flaky exterior pastry and savory ricotta filling.