Kunserva
This rather sweet tomato paste is used in pasta sauces, to boost any dish with tomatoes in it as well as in the favourite national snack called hobz biz-zejt.
Extra virgin olive oil
Olive trees grow in abundance on the rocky island. Olive oil is used liberally in the cuisine as salad dressings and as cooking oil.
Pulses
Green split peas are popular for soups and in the famous mushy pea filling for pastizzi. Broad beans are used in soups and the beloved bigilla dip eaten with crusty bread.
Capers
Capers grow wild along the roadside and are used in many dishes. They are essential in the ultimate Maltese/Mediterranean open sandwich known as hobz biz-zejt.
Hobz biz-zejt
Hobz Biz-Zejt- is an open sandwich made with thick slices of crusty bread with a thin layer of kunserva (tomato paste), then topped with a range of toppings including tuna and capers.
Bread
Maltese bread is similar to crusty Italian bread in texture. Used in simple dishes like hobz biz-zejt and puddina.
Pasta
Pasta is a staple but used differently to neighbouring Italy as spaghetti and macaroni are often baked in dishes, such as timpana, rather than served immediately from the pot.
Gbejniet
Gbejniet is the name for a number of cheeses adored by Maltese people. Gbejniet is generally made with cow's milk. There is a soft fresh cheese that is like a silky cross between mozzarella and ricotta; a sun dried version of the same cheese which hardens after a month into a sweet nutty little round of cheese; and a third version is the hard cheese rolled in a pepper powder which is served with grapes or figs or as part of an antipasto.
Ravjul
Larger than Italian ravioli, the traditional filling for ravjul is ricotta cheese seasoned with parsley and salt. The other point of difference is cooking time -generally the Maltese like a softer texture and cook pasta longer than the Italian al dente.
Pastizzi
Dozens of layers of flaky pastry filled with a variety of fillings, the most traditional being ricotta and mushy peas.
