Charmaine Tokic

What an exciting way to start the year! The Maltese Community here in Australia welcomed brothers from Malta, Keith and Fabian Demicoli earlier this month. The brothers are well known in Malta as TV hosts, news presenters and journalists. They recently received funding from the EU to produce an 8-part series featuring ways in which Maltese immigrants maintain Maltese culture. This series will play out on National Maltese TV channel ONE and social media. Keith and Fabian Demicoli with Shannon Said, Charmaine Tokic and Theresa CassarPhoto by: Charmaine Tokic I was fortunate enough to host Keith and Fabian in my…

With Australia Day coming up soon, I thought it would be fitting to write about one of Australia's iconic cakes - the lamington! It's so iconic, it made its way to Malta where you'll find it in a pink or red coating rather than the traditional chocolate coating. It is known by a few names in Malta; pasti mill-ħomor, pasti mir-roża and bambaluni. They became popular in Malta in the 60s and 70s and can still find them in kiosks and pastry shops on the Islands. These were my nanna's favourite sweet and would bring home to her 10 kids…

I love a good Maltese-fusion dish by combining Maltese food elements into something different. Whilst it seems like an unusual combination, trust me on this one. Using the iconic Maltese sausage, with its' saltiness to contrast against the tart sweet taste of green apples, topped with a bit of creamy ricotta, this torta will have you coming back for more! It's such a versatile dish, you could have it for any time of the day really. It's got festive vibes all over, making it the perfect fancy dish for Christmas. With an impeccable flavour balance of sweet and salty, and…

You can get a real sense of a country’s culinary identity through a platter. What better way to taste the true flavours of Malta than with a platt Malti. With Christmas just around the corner and families catching up over the summer holidays, a Maltese platter is something you need on the menu. I thought I'd share with you what makes a Maltese platter, hoping to inspire you to make your own at home. Very similar to other European mezze platters, platt Malti offers a wide selection of tasty bites; Ġbejniet (Maltese cheeselets) You can have these fresh or dried,…

Addolorata Cemetery, Paola, MaltaPhoto by Denise, Beyond the Cornfields The month of November is a special month in the Maltese calendar. One that holds great tradition and religious reverence. All Saints' Day (Jum il-Qaddisin) and All Souls' Day (Għid l-Irwieħ) are celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November respectively and hold deep spiritual and cultural significance for the Maltese people. All Saints' Day is a day dedicated to commemorating all the saints, known and unknown, who have lived holy and virtuous lives. All Souls' Day is a day to remember and pray for the souls of the departed. It…

Ġbejniet are a cheese that are unique to the Islands. I tried to think of a creative title for this article, but they are so unique, they deserve to have a title on its own. They are little cheeselets most commonly made with sheep milk, but can be made from any milk. The earliest evidence of this style of cheese making dates as far back as 1000 B.C. with traces of cow milk protein found on pottery in the style of an qaleb (cheese basket) in Baħrija. What I love about my community on Instagram is that I learn things…

Maltese traditional food. Some may say our food is very similar to Italian, for example brusketta or ravjul. Others may say Maltese food is similar to the French with stuffat tal-bebbux (snail stew) or kapunata similar to ratatouille. Some may also say we have influences from the Arabs or Spanish and even the British. But what actually makes Maltese food our own? These meals, whilst may essentially be the same as your Italian bruschetta or ravioli or, French escargot or ratatouille, have their own unique Maltese twist. Maltese food has its own distinct flavours. Key ingredients that include fresh produce…

As someone who loves food, I love culture just as much. I believe that food reflects cultural identity. It is a significant marker of identity which not only provides a way to understand family, but also a way to connect with the mother land from abroad. It tells us stories about who we are and where we come from. Food isn't just about sustenance or a means to satisfy hunger, it's an essential part of our cultural fabric and expressing our cultural identity - we literally are what we eat! There is a sense of familiarity when it comes to…