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, plain or coated in crushed black pepper. In particular, the dried are deliciously tart and pair well with a beer and the crunch of a gallett. Such a unique cheese, it’s essential to have on any Maltese platter – it wouldn’t be a Maltese platter without it!
Galletti (Maltese crackers)
Unlike the crackers you buy from your local supermarket, these crackers are harder and crunchier, making a great contrast in texture to anything on your Maltese platter. Dip them in your bigilla or pair with a ġbejna, these are a must-have on your platter.
Bigilla (Broad bean dip)
A Maltese classic, bigilla is made from mashed broad beans with oil and garlic, and sometimes added herbs and chilli. It’s similar to hummus in a way, but would choose bigilla over hummus any day.
Zalzett Malti (Maltese sausage)
Zalzett Malti is the traditional fresh Maltese sausage made from ground pork, salt, crushed black peppercorns and coriander seeds, garlic and parsley and is considered a staple in Malta. You can eat it raw or cooked, both bursting with flavour either way you choose.
Żebbuġ (Olives) and Tadam Imqadded (sundried tomatoes)
Malta is known for olives and they are all over the Island, being the perfect climate for them to grow. Maltese olives more traditionally come stuffed with anchovy paste or peppers. Paired up with some sun dried tomatoes made from Maltese grown tomatoes and you’ve got yourself two epic ingredients that will make your platter boast all there is to be Maltese.
Ħobż (Maltese bread)
Malta is famous for its bread, or ħobż as we all know it to be. It’s unlikely to find bread like it anywhere else except for on the island, as it’s very unique in a way being nicely light and bubbly inside with a big, thick crust. It’s the best to soak up any leftover olive oil or tomato juices off your platter.
You can find most of the above mentioned ingredients at your local deli grocer. You could make your own ġbejniet to make it extra special (see my recipe for ġbejniet here). Platt Malti is a great appetiser for your celebrations this Christmas in Australia. It’s the perfect platter to share on a hot summer’s day and definitely one I’ll be creating over the break. The above are just your staple components that you would likely see on a Maltese platter. You could be a little more extra and make it even more Maltese than it already is by adding pastizzi, kapunata (similar to ratatouille), kappar (capers), tadam frisk (fresh tomato) and/or fażola (beans), pair it with a platter of fresh fruit and you’ve got yourself an epic Maltese entertainer’s spread!
If you would like to read about a particular foodie topic or would like to see a particular recipe, feel free to drop me a line via editor@thevoiceofthemaltese.org or direct message me on my Instagram @_thefoodiemama
