Malta is more than just crystal clear sea and beautiful beaches, there is also fantastic food too! Traditional Maltese dishes are mainly based on good seafood and locally made island products.  The culinary tradition in Malta developed a unique and rich combination of flavours because of the presence of different cultures on the island throughout history. Here are just a few of Netferry's favourite dishes:

Pastizzi and Qassatat

Pastizzi are pastry sheets filled with ricotta or mushy peas and qassatats are little dumplings filled with ricotta, crushed peas, anchovies and spinach.  They are both snacks that can be eaten at any time of the day. You can find pastizzi at pastizzerias, which seem to be on every corner of the Maltese archipelago! They are also nice and cheap, at about 40 cents a piece.  

Gbejna

More than a dish, gbejna is a typical goats cheese from the island of Gozo, just off the coast from Malta.  The consistency is somewhere between ricotta and spreadable cheese and it has an intense flavour! It comes fresh or dry, depending on how mature it is. It is sometimes enjoyed alone and sometimes used within some other dishes.  NetFerry recommends that you taste the Gbejna from Rikardu Zammit farm in Gozo and also try Ta RIkardu restaurant in Victoria.   

Ftira

Ftira is somewhere between a pizza and a pastry. It is a thin folded pizza with crispy edges that are dusted with sesame. The filling consists of potatoes and onion and then either Maltese sausage or chicken then rocket and cherry tomatoes are added.  Then the dough has to be left to rest for two hours and re-kneaded again, then the Ftira is cooked in a wood-fired oven for a few minutes at about 250 degrees. We think the best Ftira can be found in Nadur at Maxokk Bakery. 

Rav Jul

This dish is very similar to Italian ravioli but in Malta it is known as Rav Jul. The dough is prepared with water and flour, with a high thickness and filled with Gbejna, which is a small round sheeps cheese. The filled pasta is then served with a thick garlic and tomato sauce.

Fenkata

This is a very traditional dish cooked for special occasions. It is a rabbit stew and because it is cooked for such a long time the meat becomes refined and very tender, the stew also contains spices, tomato, wine and peas.

Lampuki

Lampuki is the Maltese name for the dorado or mahi-mahi, a kind of fish that migrates past the Maltese islands during the autumn. It is cooked in various ways but the most popular way is to dust it with flour and oil then grill it and served it with tomato sauce, capers and onions. Netferry recommends that you try this dish at Ta ’Mena Estate.

The Sweets

There are many Maltese desserts and many bakeries on the island. When you walk through the streets of small towns you can always smell the scent of the local bakery. Qagħaq tal-għasel is a ring-shaped dessert with honey and spices. There are also imqaret, which are fried dough dumplings filled with dates. The Helwa tat-Tork is a strong sweet which is either flour-based or nut-butter based sweet that probably arrived on Malta when the island was under Arab rule.  Finally, you can also find Sicilian-style desserts on Malta, such as Kannoli and Kassata.  

Ferries to Malta

Netferry can get you to Malta. Find out how easy it is to book your ferry ticket to Malta at Netferry's online booking centre. Find all the relevant information including arrival and departure times, connecting ports, shipping companies, fares and accommodation onboard in just a few clicks on the NetFerry website.

For more detailed information call 0831 564257 from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 13.00 and 15.30 to 20.00. On Saturday mornings from 09.00 to 13.00.

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