Pastizzi, a savoury cheesecake, is probably the most eaten food on the island and few visitors to Malta or Gozo will leave without eating at least one.
The origins of pastizzi are probably either Sicilian or Arabic, but most likely the latter as the roly-poly method of making pastizzi pastry is a typical example of Arabic culinary traditions. Flaky pastry is used to make diamond shaped pastizzi, which are filled with either ricotta cheese or mushy peas. They are sold on street corners and in village bars everywhere and eaten hot. The Maltese normally take them as a snack with tea or coffee or Kinnie, a locally produced soft drink. Up to a few years ago, young waiters emerging from small bars carrying trays of hot pastizzi and tall glass tumblers of tea or coffee for office employees were a common sight in Valletta
Pastizzi making is an art form, and it is said that it takes many years to perfect it. The best way to learn how to make pastizzi is to watch them being made in St Paul’s or Merchants Street in Valletta, or in Rabat, Hamrun or Msida. While there are many shops that sell pastizzi, very few of them actually make them on the premises.
In St Paul’s Street, in front of the church of St Paul Shipwrecked, there is one of the oldest pastizzerias in Valletta.
About 50 years ago, Rosario’s father opened his own bakery and pastizzeria, and today Rosario continues to create those delicious pastizzi using the same recipe and methods his father used.
His shop is mentioned in many travel guides as an “insider tip”, and he confirms that his clients, especially those from abroad, are very faithful and always visit him when they are back in Malta.
A look inside his bakery is like a journey back in time. The machine he uses is still the same with just the “one finger”, and although there are time-saving modern ones today he does not want them, as he knows that the end result would not be the same. So he keeps on making pastizzi in the traditional way – with his hands.
However, he also makes cakes, pizza and doughnuts, to mention but a few.
Rosario often sits on the steps of the church opposite his shop waiting for customers. He is always ready to have a chat with them and if someone does not have any change, he tells him: “Pay me next time.”
It is plain to see that he loves his job, and although there are plenty of other pastizzerias in Malta, this one is special and it is indeed fortunate that his two sons will carry on the tradition.