Maltese Cuisine and History

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What influences are reflected in Maltese cuisine?

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Strong Italian influences, as well as influences from Spanish, French, Provençal, and other Mediterranean cuisines, with some later British culinary influence.

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What is the national dish of Malta?

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Stuffat tal-fenek (stewed rabbit).

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How did Malta's history and geography influence its cuisine?

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Malta's position along important trade routes allowed it to absorb, transform, and adapt foreign dishes and tastes.

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What is Aljotta?

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A fish broth with garlic, herbs, and tomatoes, which is the Maltese adaptation of bouillabaisse.

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What food products from the British military presence influenced Maltese cooking?

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English mustard, Bovril, HP Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

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What is the Maltese word for aioli?

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Aljoli.

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What does the Maltese word taġen refer to?

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A metal frying pan.

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What is the significance of the dish stuffat tal-fenek in Maltese identity?

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It is often identified as the national dish and may have started as a form of symbolic resistance to hunting restrictions imposed by the Knights of St John.

Front

What contributed to the popularity of pork in Maltese cuisine?

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Malta being on the edge of the Christian world, consuming pork could have been a way of self-identification.

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What was the representative Maltese pastry chosen for the Café Europe event in 2006?

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Maqrut.