Food Lover's Guide to Malta
With Malta’s Mediterranean climate, abundant seafood, and culinary heritage that borrows elements from Italy, Britain, and Spain, the country’s cuisine is unique and varied. Here are some options for food tours in Malta, where good, fresh food is a way of life.
Must-Try Dishes
Maltese food is simple, seasonal, south Mediterranean fare, shaped by local ingredients such as fresh fish, island-grown olive oil, tasty plump tomatoes, onions, and lashings of garlic. Swordfish, tuna, bream, mullet, grouper, bass, octopus, and squid all feature seasonally on menus at the island’s restaurants, and***aljotta***(fish soup) is a popular choice, served with plenty of***ftira***(a round Maltese bread).
Other much-loved local dishes include***pastizzi***(savory pastries stuffed with spinach, ricotta cheese, or mushy peas), Gozo specialty***ġbejniet***(ewe’s cheese),bigilla(a pâté made from mashed broad beans and garlic),qarabali mimli(marrow stuffed with minced beef), and***bragioli***(beef slices stuffed with veal, herbs, and olives). Influenced by neighboring Sicily, baked pasta dishes such as***timpana***(macaroni and Bolognese sauce) and pizzas are also popular.
For dessert, indulge in***kannoli***(ricotta-filled pastry tubes),imqaret(deep-fried date pastries), or***halva***(a sweet made with crushed almonds).
Must-Do Experiences
Tuck into a delicious open-air buffet dinner at Limestone Heritage Park and Gardens in Siggiewi, complete with traditional Maltese music and dance.
Feast on fresh-from-the-ocean seafood at the famous Sunday fish market in Marsaxlokk, then take a cruise to the Blue Grotto on a half-day tour from Valletta.