Food of Malta
Maltese food is Mediterranean cooking with Sicilian, North African, Arabic and British touches. Rabbit stew, fresh fish, pastizzi, tomatoes, capers, ricotta and bread dressed with oil are signature tastes. Meals are unhurried and family-centered, and flaky pastries are a street food habit.
Stuffat tal-fenek
Rabbit slowly stewed with garlic, tomato and herbs, often served with spaghetti.
- Main dishes (8)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (4)
- Soups (3)
- Salads (3)
- Breads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (2)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- rabbit
- fish
- tomatoes
- ricotta
- bread
- capers
- olive oil
- pasta
Signature flavors
- capers
- mint
- garlic
- bay leaf
- oregano
- fennel
Main dishes
Rabbit slowly stewed with garlic, tomato and herbs, often served with spaghetti.
Key ingredients: rabbit, tomato, garlic, bay leaf
Fish pie made with dolphinfish, spinach and vegetables, in season.
Key ingredients: lampuki, spinach, tomato, pastry
Baked pasta pie in a pastry case with meat and eggs.
Key ingredients: macaroni, ground meat, tomato, pastryBeef olives stuffed with bacon, egg and breadcrumbs, in tomato sauce.
Key ingredients: beef, bacon, egg, breadcrumbsMaltese ratatouille with capers and olives.
Key ingredients: eggplant, peppers, capers, tomatoFish and garlic soup with rice and herbs.
Key ingredients: fish, garlic, tomato, mintBaked rice with meat, cheese and eggs.
Key ingredients: rice, ground meat, eggs, tomato
Octopus braised in tomato.
Key ingredients: octopus, tomato, olivesBreakfast
Maltese bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil, filled with tuna and capers.
Key ingredients: bread, tomato, olive oil, tuna, capersFlaky ricotta pastries.
Key ingredients: pastry, ricottaFull guide →
Flatbread filled with vegetables and tuna.
Key ingredients: flour, olives, tunaStreet food
The national snack, ricotta or pea.
Key ingredients: ricotta, peas, pastryFull guide →Pastry pies with ricotta or spinach.
Key ingredients: dough, ricotta, spinachFilled flatbread.
Key ingredients: dough, tuna, olives
Fried date pastries.
Key ingredients: dates, pastry, aniseSoups
Widow's soup with seasonal vegetables and ricotta.
Key ingredients: cauliflower, ricotta, egg, peas
Hearty vegetable and pasta soup.
Key ingredients: vegetables, pasta, beans
Broad bean soup with pasta.
Key ingredients: broad beans, tomato, pastaSalads
Mashed broad bean dip with garlic.
Key ingredients: broad beans, garlic, parsleyTomato salad with ġbejna cheese.
Key ingredients: tomato, cheese, olive oilTomato, onion and capers salad.
Key ingredients: tomato, onion, capersBreads
Crusty sourdough bread baked in a wood oven.
Key ingredients: flour, water, yeastFlat ring-shaped bread.
Key ingredients: flour, waterDesserts and sweets
Date-filled fried pastries.
Key ingredients: dates, flour, anise
Cannoli filled with sweet ricotta.
Key ingredients: pastry, ricotta, sugarFull guide →Drinks
Bittersweet orange and herb soda.
Key ingredients: oranges, herbsStrong coffee served in cafes.
Key ingredients: coffee
Afternoon tea.
Key ingredients: teaHerbal infusion.
Key ingredients: mintFruits and produce
Called bajtar tax-xewk, sweet cactus fruit.
Key ingredients: fresh, juice
Maltese caper leaves and berries.
Key ingredients: salads, breads
Local figs.
Key ingredients: freshFull guide →
Sweet citrus.
Key ingredients: juiceTomatoes dried in the sun.
Key ingredients: pasta, saladsDish guides from Malta
Explore Malta on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Southern Europe
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Common Dolphinfish Monterey Bay: gendereuphorbia, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pastitsio homemade: Sam Bailey, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Octopus2: albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ftira with Tuna in Marsaxlokk 02: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Homemade Imqaret: Simon Cutajar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Minestrone soup (5): Daniel Ziegener, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Traditional Maltese Kusksu (Fava Bean Soup): PolluxWorld, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Homemade Bigilla from Malta: Silvana.Bugeja, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ħobż Malti: EnriqueTabone, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cannoli siciliani al Caffè Impero, ad Alcamo: Ensahequ, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Kinnie bottle and glass: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Longjing tea steeping in gaiwan: Difference engine, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Opuntia littoralis var vaseyi 4: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Illustration Capparis spinosa0: Otto Wilhelm Thomé (1840-1925), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ficus carica L, 1771: Trew, C.J, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Oranges - whole-halved-segment: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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