Maltese cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine with its own culinary specialties, characterized by simplicity and speed of preparation. Due to the short distance to Sicily, the influence of Sicilian cuisine is very strong. The Maltese Archipelago offers an insanely wide variety of fish as well as a full range of fresh seafood. Vegetables typical of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East are the basis of many Maltese dishes.

Fish
For thousands of years, the main source of food for the islanders has been the sea. The abundance of fruit in the Maltese waters has made it one of the most important parts of Maltese cuisine even today. The most popular fish dish is lampuka, or simply dorado, a fish from the unique family of dolphin fishes. This dish can be ordered grilled, fried, boiled or in a less popular version - tarts with spinach, cauliflower and olives (tal-lampuki torta). Undoubtedly, it is also worth trying swordfish or tuna and slightly smaller fish: seriola, sea bass, stingrays, barracuda, or the highly valued sea bream or interestingly prepared octopus and squid. The undeniable freshness of the products is the secret to the good taste of Maltese sea dishes. Restaurants and shops buy fish every morning directly from the fishermen or at markets and it is always catch from the night - fresh and of high quality.

Meats
Meats are also very popular in traditional island cooking. Due to the climate of the islands - high temperatures all year round, and especially during the long summer, the population fed on small animals such as chicken or rabbit. The meat of these animals was enough for the large Maltese families for one meal, and they did not have to store scraps of food during hot days. Later, in the days of British beef and pork, it also became popular. Meat dishes cooked on the grill, sprinkled with plenty of herbs, sprinkled with salt and pepper, baked with potatoes and onions. However, the favorite food of the inhabitants of Malta is Fenek - a rabbit drenched in red wine. Another traditional Maltese dish is Bragioli - also known as beef olives, stuffed beef bundles, long stewed in wine, served with anion, tomato sauce and boiled potatoes. In almost every restaurant, this traditional delicacy is served in various variants: boiled, baked, in the form of stews or in the form of rolls. Despite the large number of regional dishes, Maltese cuisine does not lack borrowed culinary accents, eg Italian.

Pastas
Pasta dishes have the greatest influence on the Sicilian Malta cuisine. Pasta was one of the dishes on the table in Maltese spurs - cheap, easy to prepare and delicious. The secret of the unique Maltese pasta is wheat - in the Maltese Archipelago, pasta is made exclusively from Durum wheat - a unique type of wheat grown in southern Europe and northern Africa. So, pastas were, are and will be an integral part of the local menu. Timpana and mqarrun fil-forn are similar dishes, served in the form of a casserole. The main ingredient of these dishes is the aforementioned pasta layered with meat, tomatoes, cheese and egg. The typical Italian penne pasta is also very common. It is served in the traditional way with tomato sauce and garlic, or in a less popular version with rabbit or cauliflower sauce.

Soups
A typical winter soup is Soppa tal-Armla or "widow's soup", but it is worth remembering that this delicious dish can be found on the menu under the name "maltase minestrone". Generally it was a vegetable soup consisting of finely chopped green and white vegetables - cabbage, eggplants, cauliflower, onions, peas, kohlrabi and the characteristic qara'bali (a pumpkin-like vegetable). Widow's soups cooked from local farmers products and were not expensive, hence the name of the soup - widow's soup - women with not very high income at that time. Another classic Maltese soup is the Aljotta fish soup - delicious and made from the smallest fish you can find in a Maltese market. As meat was forbidden during Lent, Aljotta enjoyed great popularity at the time. This soup requires the use of all the fish - including the head and tail - for the best flavor. In different restaurants in Malta, everyone can try different variants of the same soup - it all depends on the fantasy of the cook. Ajlotta was always prepared from small fish available during the day.

Pastry and bread
The most popular places visited by tourists are the tiny bakeries offering "Pastizzeries". This is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to taste the flavors of Maltese cuisine. Pastizzi, or shortbread, buttery dough stuffed with cheese or crumbled cakes and served warm as a snack, will perfectly satisfy your hunger, at least for a while. You can also choose from traditional casseroles, pizzas and many tasty pastries. A popular dessert are deep-fried mqaret cookies filled to the brim with date paste and fried in oil.
A very interesting local confectionery product is The Galletti - water crackers. Cookies made of simple ingredients - flour, salt, yeast. They are baked until golden brown and can be eaten as a snack or with dips or cheese. Galletti was the bread of sailors because of the long time it stayed fresh. They were produced in mass quantities in naval bakeries to supply the fleet for long voyages in the 16th - 18th centuries.
The famous Maltese loaf always has a dark brown crust, a crispy coating, full of vents inside and soft to chew. The bottom of the bread, which is baked directly on the stone bottom of the oven, is hard and pleasant to chew. The bread is made using a unique technology based on very high temperature, which makes the bread covered with a dark brown crust, and the inside is crispy and soft.
Traditionally, the islanders eat this freshly baked bread with every meal. The most famous are the local sandwiches - everyone can taste them in every kiosk, cafe in every village in Malta. This bread is best served with olive oil and crumbled with local tomatoes, then topped with a mixture of tuna, capers and olives. Such a sandwich is called in Malta ?ob? bi?-?ejt (literally bread with olive oil) and is undoubtedly the most iconic snack in Malta

Cheese
Malta is famous for the unique Gbejna cheese, which is produced with a special technology from the past. ?bejna is a small, round cheese made from sheep's or goat’s milk. This cheese is served in various forms: fresh, sun-dried, salted or pepper. The fresh variety of Gbajna has a smooth texture and a milky flavor similar to mozzarella. The sun-dried variety has a more musky flavor and a firm structure. The most popular type of cheese is peppercorn - covered with crushed black pepper and pickled, then stored in oil or marinated in vinegar. The pungent taste of the cheese becomes more spicy over time and it becomes crumbly in texture.

Olive Oil
Archaeological discoveries show that as early as 2000 years ago, the Romans in Malta produced olive oil, and this product was one of the few products exported from the island. To this day, the island's olive harvest comes mainly from the local olive tree "tal-Bidni". The olives are small, juicy and "purple" in color, and their taste is peppery and rich in antioxidants with increased polyphenol content that give them unique flavor and health benefits. Olive oil and garlic are the most popular ingredients in Maltese cuisine.

Sea salt
The Maltese archipelago delights everyone with 300 sunny days. Summer on the island is hot, long and dry. These have long been the three reasons why the island's main economic activity - sea salt production - has flourished - with a lack of arable land, sea salt exports have become a major source of export revenue. Today, with competition from rock salt quarries, this production is not more effective, but salt shakers are still used on the sister island of Gozo and the tradition is still alive. This interesting place you can visit for free and buy a handful of salt there. Many Maltese restaurants are still true to tradition and use local salt to prepare their dishes.

Dried tomatoes
If you try dried tomatoes in Malta, you will be guaranteed a distinct flavor that only the uniquely sweet and flat-shaped Maltese tomato has. The Mediterranean soil is rich in minerals and the dry climate in summer makes Maltese tomatoes sweet and unforgettable. Drying occurs at the end of July, when the sun is strong and the harvest is nearing the end.
Tomatoes, washed and dried, cut in half, sprinkle with fine sea salt and cover with a net. Now it is time to dry, which lasts 5 to 7 days in the sun on the roofs of traditional Maltese country houses. Anyone who is a fan of dried tomatoes should try them in Malta.

Maltese cuisine is a real madness of flavors. It is worth finding out for yourself which of the local dishes will become our favorite.