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.
Photo by: Charmaine Tokic
I was fortunate enough to host Keith and Fabian in my home along with my mum Theresa and two of my close Maltese friends Ashleigh Dickson née Cordina and Shannon Said. Together with my mum, we prepared a 3-course meal consisting of brodu taċ–ċanga (beef soup), torta tal-irkotta (ricotta pie) and Maltese trifle.
We spoke about Maltese culture growing up in Australia and how food is a main element that keeps the Maltese in Australia connected to Maltese culture. I reflected on my childhood and how fortunate I was that my parents were involved in the Maltese community throughout the 90s. I remember attending several festi throughout the year and our local Maltese club at La Valette Social Centre once a week. It’s definitely not as lively as it was back then, but one thing remains constant and that is Maltese food. This is something we kept reverting back to amongst our conversation around Maltese culture here in Australia. Food is the constant throughout time since our first Maltese migrants.
Food helps a culture illustrate who they are and where they’ve come from, not by visual means, but with flavours that represent their ancestors and birth places. Food expresses our cultural identity and is a way that we connect with the Islands from abroad. I’ve spoken about food and how it resonates with cultural identity in a previous article titled We Are What We Eat.
Our meet with the brothers was very last minute so I had to think of Maltese dishes that were quick and easy to whip up. Brodu is an easy make. What made this meal super special was that I had beef soup bones from my dad (he is a butcher by trade) – soup doesn’t taste the same with store bought meat. I served brodu taċ–ċanga as two dishes – the way my dad eats it. First, we served up the soup component, then the beef on the bone with some potatoes and freshly squeezed lemon on top – full of fresh flavour, my toddlers devour this. It’s my favourite way of eating beef soup and a meal that takes me back to my childhood.
My mum makes the għagina (pastry) for torta in bulk and freezes it, ready for when she wants to make it. We pulled a few out of the freezer and made two types of ricotta pie. One had broad beans and potato and the other with the addition of sultanas (by Ashleigh’s request). The addition of sultanas is most popular in Gozo.
Maltese trifle. What makes it Maltese exactly? I don’t know. It’s essentially the same as any trifle you would come across, it’s just really popular dessert among the Maltese. I put it together the way my mum does, layer of sponge cake, soaked in white sambuca. I used fruit cups in syrup (also used the syrup to soak the sponge) and laid out the fruit in another layer. Next comes the jelly followed by thick custard, whipped cream and some chocolate shavings on top. This is another dish that plays on my nostalgia and brings back memories as a child.
Photo by: Charmaine Tokic
The brothers were a pleasure to host and I wish them every success with this series. I encouraged them to make this a regular thing. Nothing brings us Maltese in Australia more pride than to see our connection with Malta play out on our TVs and social media. Having Keith and Fabian come out from Malta to connect with the Maltese in Australia, shows that our motherland has not forgotten us and inspires us to continue passing our culture and traditions on for future generations.
Prosit tassew Keith u Fabian! We can’t wait for the series to air!
