Must try food in Malta

If you really want to get a proper taste of Malta, I'd suggest not only visiting touristic areas, but also trying out Maltese food. Mediterranean food is considered to be one of the best in terms of taste and variation.

Today, I'm going to tell you what is essential to try out when in Malta -

Food

1. Twistees: If you have relatives in Malta, I am pretty sure you have heard of this snack before. If not... Twistees is by far the favourite savoury snack of Maltese people. You can find this snack from just about anywhere: supermarkets, bars, confectioneries, petrol stations... Just look for a red and yellow packet, and it's probably Twistees.

The snack itself is made from rice and maize grits, and the taste is VERY cheesy. Only try this at your own risk, because if you enjoy it - it is most probably going to be very addictive!

You can find these snacks for sale in the UK under the name Tastees from www.tastees.info  (I just discovered this jewel myself!)

2. Galletti: These are most of the time found in a round shape. Essentially they are water crackers. Nowadays you can find these plain (original format), or even with flavours and herbs. My favourite is galletti with salt and black pepper.

3. Gbejniet: These are small round cheeslets which are made from goat's milk (also sheep's milk). These cheeslets are used in several Maltese dishes, ranging from starters to main dishes - salads, pasta, pizza, soup... You name it! Gbejniet are incredibly delicious with galletti and in summer, it goes well with Maltese bread.

Maltese bread with kunserva and other toppings

4: Mmmmmaltese Bread: Whether you love bread or you don't - you must try Maltese bread! Especially bread bought directly from a bakery - fresh and warm! Also ask for a 'ftira' - this is simply divine with the following toppings: Kunserva with gbejniet, canned tuna, olives, capers, gbejniet and olive oil; especially at the beach!


5. Kunserva: This is the best sauce to go with Maltese bread. The taste is rather sweet, but go on... try it! Just spread it on the bread, and add olive oil to taste! The kunserva is also used with red pasta sauce to increase texture and taste. Ideal with that pasta Bolognese we all love so much!

Bigilla (the brown paste)

6. Bigilla: Bigilla is eaten all year round, but it is perfect for summer. This goes well as a dip with galletti, and also as an ingredient to a cold salad. The main ingredient in Bigilla is Djerba beans. I know, it doesn't sound apetising - but a lot of people grow fond of it.

7. Pastizzi: Pastizzi - fattening, but delicious! Also know as Cheesecakes / Peacakes by tourists. It is a savoury snack which have a filling of either ricotta or mushy peas. Eating these, while drinking a cup of tea is a must! Great for breakfast or as a snack.
They are available in two shapes: diamond or round. They are folded differently depending to the filling. These are usually baked on metal drays and are available from cafes and pastizzerias all around the island.

8: Mqaret: Commonly found in feasts and Valletta. These are delicious daimond shaped pastries stuffed with dates and deep fried. Again, these are not for people who are on diet, however you can buy healthier version of these from the supermarket. Most of the time available frozen - and then you can always bake them instead. Taste wise, the deep fried ones are much better. Mqaret is the plural of maqrut. The word maqrut derives from an Arabic word meaning a 'diamond'.

Drinks

9. Cisk Lager: This is the best beer you can find locally. Also you can find a 'light' version of it called Cisk Excel. Other variations are Cisk Chill which contains a lemon flavour, and Cisk XS which is extra strong (and very sweet!)

10. Kinnie: This is the soft drink Malta is known for. It has been created in the early 1950s, and it's taste is of bitter oranges and aromatic herbs. It sure quenches your taste!

If you are visiting the islands in Summer, make sure you always carry with you a bottle of water, otherwise you're risking dehydration due to the heat!

Have fun.

A day in lovely Gozo

During my last visit to Malta, less than a month ago, I took Mark for the first time to Gozo. For those who never heard of Gozo, this is the sister island of Malta. It was mid-June, and the temperature on the islands is around 25 Degrees Celcius; Sunny, with the occassional breeze. Gozo is smaller than Malta, and is less populated and it tends to be more quiet, and greener.

I think that the perfect time to visit Malta is either in June or in September, when the weather is good and yet not too hot and humid.

My dad offered to drive us to Cirkewwa, and so it didn't take long until we were waiting for the Gozo ferry. Mark and I managed to find a seat outside, and so we could appreciate the views better.

When in Gozo, we visited Rabat (also known as Victoria), the capital city. I took Mark to my favourite cafe in Gozo (and Malta too!), called Cafe Jubilee. Although Cafe Jubilee is also available in Malta, the first shop was open in Gozo, and as such the owner is Gozitan. If you ever have the opportunity to go to this cafe, I suggest you try their Rikotta pastizzi, which are home-made. Their bread is also a must-try - especially the 'ftira'.

After a nice snack and chilling at the cafe, we took a bus and made our way to Marsalforn, which is one of my favourite spots in Gozo. The beach was so inviting and it was a shame we didn't have our bathing suit on! There were barely any people around...

However in the bay close to Marsalforn we encountered my biggest enemy... the Jellyfish...

It was a shame that we could only stay for a day.

I would love to live in Gozo one day. It's just so beautiful and quiet.

Malta's decline in tourism

I was looking at a few articles on the Times of Malta website today, as I try to keep in touch with what is going on in Malta and about the general current affairs.

From what I read today, and yesterday, I think I can come up with a few reasons with regarding the decrease of tourists to Malta.

The most obvious reason seems to be the recession that most of Europe is going through. Everywhere I go, people seem to be struggling to make ends meets. Even here in the UK, I came across an article which says that families are eating food even after they're expired, as well as keeping left overs in the fridge for a longer time period. Needless to say, this is happening in several other countries, even in Malta.

This brings me to the next point, which is: foreigners cannot afford to travel as much as they used to, or their budget is less than it was a few years ago. Even though Malta, in comparison to other European countries is rather cheap to live in (food, accomodation, transport), the flights to Malta are alarmingly expensive. I think this is a disadvantage which cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, since to my knowledge shops do not need to have items tagged with a price by law, some shop owners tend to take advantage of tourists. This is due to the fact that tourists would not know how much they are expected to pay for a bottle of water for instance. I have seen this happening with my own eyes, and in the past it also happened to me, even though I am local.

In a way, I am glad that less tourists are visiting Malta, because most of Malta is going through roadworks. Too many main-roads are closed down because  of this, and traffic is alarmingly worse. It is bad enough when there are no road works! I think roadworks are very repulsive, and closing down such roads during summer, which in Malta is the highest tourist peak is more or less insane. Having said that, I would also like to mention that such work on the roads creates an increase in probability when it comes to trafffic accidents. Traffic accidents involving tourists will only give Malta a bad name.

Having said all the above, I still think that Malta is a great holiday destination, especially during summer time, when the weather is pefect for the beach, when nightlife is at its best... And who can forget those marvellous historical places and the delicious food?

Day 1: Sun-kissed Malta

It is true, what they say... That absence makes the heart grows fonder.

St. Julians, Malta

Last week, my boyfriend and I visited Malta, after not being there for over 5 months. The least I can say is that I was plenty excited of being in sun-kissed Malta, of sitting on the shore watching the waves play and tease each other, of seeing my family and friends once more.

We didn’t have a terrible winter in the UK, and Spring has been sunny, partially cloudy, but I yearned for those bright blue skies and a little breeze. Being in the UK,  all I see is canals and lakes, which I do love.  But I missed that salty smell the sea brings to the plate.

First day in Malta, Mark and I spent it in St. Julian’s, being lazy at the beach. I’ve tasted Cisk XS again, and I have to say, that nothing tastes better in the sun. No, not even ice cream! We’ve also been to the cinema  and watched Intruders. I do believe that it was a low-budget movie, but we both enjoyed it and I’d suggest it to anyone in the mood for a thriller movie. For those of you who are interested in knowing who starred in this one, the main actors are Clive Owen and Carice van Houten (apparently a rather famous Dutch actress).

Later on in the day we also met Carly for a drink. Being the eve of St. Patrick’s Day,  I celebrated it by drinking a pint of the beloved Guinness. And for those who are wondering, no I am  not an alcoholic, but I do love beer. And wine. And Jagermeister. And Jack Daniels.

Stay tuned for more updates and photos from our long weekend in Malta!

Malta: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

For those of you foreigners, who think that I’m missing out because I’m not living in Malta anymore, I thought i’d give you a bit of a feel of what Maltese people are really like. Stick to living in Malta, not visiting the country for a couple of days or weeks, and you will see what I mean.

The Good

You can get all the help you need

Are you lost? Do you need an extra 5 cents for your bus ride? Most people are ready to help – to give you directions and answer your questions; to take a photo of you and your loved one next to a historical monument. We do believe that the tourists are a big part of the island’s revenue, so we all learned at some point in our life to be well-mannered and pleasant to those who provide us jobs.

Too hot, weather – Beach times and night life!

Although shade is out of question in summer, there are plenty of beaches to cool off in. You find ice-cream vans in every street corner and pubs and bars opening early in the morning, or afternoon, and close at around 5am in the morning! If you are a music lover and/or a drunk, you will love it here! If you’re 17 years of age, you can drink as much as you want, as long as you don’t drive! And if you drive, it’s usually not a problem.... police are most of the time home and sleeping with their wives at 5am anyway!

The use of the English language

Kids are taught English in-line with Maltese at a very early age in their life, usually ranging between 3 to 6. Most of the pensioners can also hold a decent conversation in English, which means that wherever you go, you are never going to be alone. Traffic signs and directions are also in English and usually helpful (unless vandalised).

Food Delicacies

Food in Malta, is possibly one of the best things you will ever experience. Being in the  Mediterranean and an island, the variety of dishes is extensive. Pizza, pasta, fish, salads, chicken, rabbit, horse meat... Anything you want... And when comparing prices to other countries, it is very affordable. Food is one of the things I miss. In the UK, you need to pay a lot of money to get food half as decent as the ones you get in restaurants in the Maltese Islands. And traditional food, sweets and liquors are to die for!

 
Free High-Level Education

The Maltese children have the opportunity to go to school up to university level, without paying a cent. The level of education is very good in most of the towns. If the teen decides on going to a technical college instead of to the university, one has to pay for the diploma, however the price is at a maximum of 1,000 Euros for the whole course which when compared to foreign institutions, it is a very good price. When I was studying at the University of Hertfordshire, I was paying £1,000 for every module, and I was studying online. So I didn't even have the benefit of a physical university, library and tuition!

History
For all you history fanatics, Malta is the place to be. With the number of wars the island has participated in, and with the different governors from different countries we had, you can find so many buildings and museums to view and drool over. Looking at the language itself, you can see for yourself the influence history had on it. Our language is based on arabic, italian, french and lately English.

The Bad

Politic Parties Fanatics

Come local council elections or the general elections, and people will start wearing blue or red (never both!). These are the colours of the two main political parties in Malta. Before we know it, we start fighting for our own political party, as if they are paying us for our loyalty and determination! In Malta, political fanatics, are equivalent to football fanatics in the UK, those fans who never miss a game, who go abroad to support their team etc. 

People DIE for their party here. I am not even joking; a local study was made and issued on one of the local newspapers on January 1^st, 2012 (The Sunday Times). Medical specialists have confirmed that elections in Malta are harmful to our health, especially in the heart region.

Worshipping the Village Feast

Is it summer yet? In Malta, there’s at least one feast every week in summer. Mind you, the village feast usually takes a whole week of celebration, and the next Monday we have what is known as ‘Xalata’ (phonetically: sha-la-ta`). Xalata is about getting up early, prepare some sandwiches, wearing your swimming suit and on top of that the colour chosen to represent your saint and go to the beach... usually screaming, loud music, booze and traffic are involved.

In the bigger towns, there are usually more than one feast, and so, as part of the celebration during the week, the saint supporters go to the other side of town to scream out their lungs, about how their feast is better and so is their saint!
Having said that, I'm quite in favour of such rituals as feasts are considered to be a cultural thing tourists are interested in.

She’s on holiday, make her pay more

A lot of idiots in shops treat tourists maliciously and claim it is alright to do so because they are on holiday and they afford it. Little do they know, that taking advantage of tourists will only results in them not coming back!

The Ugly

Religious Obsessions

Born and bred in Malta, is usually a detriment in terms of religion. We cannot choose for ourselves whether we should follow any religion or lead our own way in life. When a Maltese citizen is a couple of days (or weeks) old, he is baptised. The Roman Catholic religion claims him and there is no turning back! At the age of 5, we have to go to Museum and religion classes apart from the Sunday masses. If you’re lucky enough, you’re registered to what is know as a ‘church school’ and you can benefit of a mass every day, apart from your teachers most likely being priests.

Close-mindedness

Walking hand in hand with religion, the Maltese people are close-minded and most of the time scandalous. Are you pregnant and not in a marriage? You are doomed! I’m not saying that it’s the ideal situation,as I do believe that children are better off born in a loving, married relationship. But two wrongs, don’t make a right... So why make a single mother feel miserable. Just help her, support her! Another example of closemindedness which I had to deal with on a daily basis is, the idea of: ‘if you listen to heavy metal you are a satanist’ and ‘if you were leather or pvc you are a whore’. When will the people in Malta learn to not judge a book by its cover?

Living in Malta, can’t speak Maltese

Apart from Maltese taking advantage of tourists, the foreigners who actually decide on moving here, tend to have their own issues and abuse from the Maltese. First and foremost, if you are etnically different (not caucasian), you might have trouble in renting in Malta. Agents tend to find it easier to rent a place to someone who looks ‘normal’, and is not coloured. If you can’t speak Maltese, people sometimes take advantage and misinterprate what you said as to make more money. Cases of which, I know plenty as I have lots of foreign friends living in Malta.

How much Maltese are you?

Having lived in Malta, for the first 23 years of my life, I have to admit that I share some of these characterisics. The lack of things to do, drive you towards doing things you never thought of doing and most of the time, without even realising. Although I don’t reckon taking advantage of anyone as I’m too kindhearted for my own good, I do tend to take part in the whole political party craziness. The idea of a general election taking place if the government fails to agree on things next week, gives me a new reason of getting excited. Oh and I miss eating pastizzi!

Share your experiences here, and if you think I'm being too controversial, just add on to my list. I don't mind being challenged, and I'm always up for discussions.