==[[:Category:Preparation Methods for Maltese Cooking|Preparation Methods for Maltese Cooking]]==
==[[:Category:Preparation Methods for Maltese Cooking|Preparation Methods for Maltese Cooking]]==
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Due to the fact of fire-wood ovens in centuries past, a slow cooking method was used to prepare most Maltese dishes. Since ovens were so rare in the olden days, the Sunday dish was taken, covered with a clean tea-towel, to the communal village oven. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Malta is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Malta’s regions.
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==[[:Category:Special Equipment for Maltese Cooking|Special Equipment for Maltese Cooking]]==
==[[:Category:Special Equipment for Maltese Cooking|Special Equipment for Maltese Cooking]]==
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Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily which has a traditional cuisine influenced by Italian and North African cuisine. Maltese cooking is an attractive blend of influences that reflects Malta's location and history. Principally Italian influences are found in Maltese cuisine but also influences from the kitchens of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Over the centuries, all of these distinct components have been integrated into a uniquely wholesome and flavorful mélange.
The Maltese kitchen has much in common with its Sicilian neighbors. The two islands are just sixty miles distant and their climatic environment, soil and fish are very similar. Maltese food is rustic and based on seasonal produce and the fisherman's catch. Although many vegetables and fruit makes from Maltese cuisine a special and tasty “show” but the most common dish remains always fish.
Pastry of all kinds is used to encase vegetables, cheese, fish, meat, rice and pasta, producing tasty and filling dishes. These embrace subtle combinations of young cauliflower florets, sheep or goat cheeses and egg contained in a crisp pastry, similar in taste to quiche, or the stronger taste of Lampuki pie, filleted Dorado mixed with spinach, cauliflower, chestnuts and sultanas in shortcrust pastry. Stewed and stuffed dishes are also an important element of Maltese cuisine. Stewed rabbit cooked in wine and herbs, "bragoli", parcels of mince, chopped eggs, breadcrumbs and pastry wrapped in thin pieces of beef, simmered very gently in gravy. Seasonal vegetables, such as aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, baby marrows and onions are very tasty stuffed with minced meats, olives and other vegetables such as garlic and fresh herbs. Seasonal salads and vegetables are an important feature of the Maltese kitchen. The best loved and most healthy dish is probably "minestra" which is vegetable soup combining numerous fresh and dried vegetables and can be served with fresh or grated "gb ejniet".
Finding the ingredients for an Maltese Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.
Due to the fact of fire-wood ovens in centuries past, a slow cooking method was used to prepare most Maltese dishes. Since ovens were so rare in the olden days, the Sunday dish was taken, covered with a clean tea-towel, to the communal village oven. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Malta is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Malta’s regions.
Special Equipment for Maltese Cooking
Most Maltese dishes don’t require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee grinder helps with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in turn, provides your food with more flavor.
However, here are a few kitchen utensils you might want to use:
Maltese Food Traditions and Festivals
People in Maltese Food
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