Maltese specialities

JamieOliver.com has described Malta and Maltese cuisine as “a lot of a good thing”.

The following are just a few Maltese speciality foods …

Figolla

A figolla is a sweet almond filled pastry traditionally given by Maltese to family and friends as an Easter gift. It is believed that the traditional figolla dates back to the 16th Century, to the times of the ”Knights of St. John”, the Knights of Malta.

Figolli are baked during Easter holy week to be eaten on Easter Sunday. They are made from shortcrust pastry in a variety of different shapes, filled with an almond paste and decorated with a chocolate egg as a symbol of life, glacé icing and royal icing in bright peacock colours.

Figolli are usually served with a good hot cup of tea or coffee.

Pastizzi

Pastizzi “pea cakes” or ricotta “cheese cakes” are a Maltese food made up of diamond shape savoury pastries filled with either ricotta (similar to Italian ricotta but less dense) or slightly spicy pea filling, known respectively in Maltese as pastizzi ta’ l-irkotta (folded at the top) and pastizzi tal-pizelli (folded at the side).

The pastry is made using a filo pastry (or sometimes using a puff pastry like dough) that crumbles deliciously especially when the pastizzi are served freshly baked in the various pastizzerias dotted around Malta and Gozo.

A visit to Malta would not be complete without tasting a few, and if you have a sweet tooth try dipping ricotta pastizzi in sugar!