A colourful selection of different varieties of fruits grown in the Maltese Islands is depicted on a 16-stamp sheetlet being issued by the Philatelic Bureau of Maltapost on Monday, 16 April.
The set, the work of stamp designer and artist Andrew Micallef, is offset printed by Printex Ltd on Maltese Crosses watermarked paper. The stamps are in 35mm x 35mm square format, with a perforation of 14.28 x 14.28. The stamps are available in a common value of 8c cents (e0.19).
Fruits grown in the Maltese Islands are typical of semi-temperate zone countries. The mild winter and the lengthy warm season result in deliciously tasting and very sweet fruits. Fresh fruits contain carbohydrates – in the form of sugars, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. Other minute constituents called phytochemicals help to enhance the human body’s defensive abilities. A healthy diet should include the daily intake of several portions of fresh fruits.
Prickly Pear – bajtra tax- xewk
The prickly pear, opuntia ficus-indica, is of Mesoamerican origin, and was brought to the Mediterranean in the wake of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. A striking feature of this tree is the flattened and jointed green stems called cladodes that perform the work of normal leaves. The fruit is a berry, containing several hard seeds embedded in a tasty pulp. Three main varieties are cultivated in Malta, the yellow variety or “Bajtar Malti” the white variety or “Bajtar Franciz” and the red variety or “Bajtar Ingliz”.
Grape – Ghenba
The grape is the fruit of the European grapevine, Vitis vinifera, grown either as a small bush or trained to an overhead trellis. The grapevine produces several bunches containing small round, soft skinned green, yellow, red or dark purple berries. Grapes are classified either as wine grapes, distinguished by small tightly packed bunches, or as table grapes with larger and more watery berries. Two indigenous varieties widely grown for wine production are the “Gellewza” and the “Girgentina”.
Loquat – Naspla
An evergreen tree, Eriobotrya japonica, has large dark green leaves, flowers that open in October and fruit that matures the following April as the earliest fruit of the season. The fruits are round, oval or pear-shaped, and are borne in clusters. Each fruit is a drupe with a thin yellow-coloured rind enclosing an aromatic melting sweet white pulp, surrounding one to several large brown seeds.
Black Mulberry – Tuta
Black mulberries are the fruit of the largest deciduous fruit tree, Morus nigra, in the Maltese Islands, that thrives close to watercourses in shady valleys. The fruit is referred to as a berry but is actually a multiple fruit made up of several small berries closely packed together. It is very juicy and has an acid sweet taste when fully ripe. Fruit maturation is quite prolonged, stretching from June until September.
Fig – Tina
Figs are the fruit of the oldest known cultivated fruit tree, Ficus carica. The tree is indigenous to the Mediterranean and has large lobed leaves that are shed in winter. In Malta, we find varieties that produce fruit without pollination, others that need a male caprifig pollinator or “Dukkar”, while others can produce two crops in succession. The green, yellow or dark purple fruit contains hundreds of tiny drupelets embedded in a sticky substance and enclosed by a fleshy skin. It is soft, sweet and has a honey-like flavour when fully ripe.
Lemon – Lumija
The lemon, recognisable by its yellow oval shape and an acid bitter taste, is the fruit of the lemon tree, Citrus limon. It is not generally eaten as a fruit, but its aromatic juice, rich in vitamin C, is used to flavour salads, broths and cooked dishes of meat and fish, or made into a beverage. The most popular varieties are those that bear fruit all year round, referred to as “Ta’ Kull Qamar”.
Pear – Langasa
The pear tree, Pyrus communis, has been cultivated since the time of Ancient Greece. Over 3,000 varieties are known, with fruit that is bell-shaped, top-shaped or globular. The fruit is a pome with a thin smooth skin that is green, yellow or brown coloured, and flesh that is creamy and fragrant when ripe. Locally the “Bambinella” is the most popularly grown variety.
Plum – Ghajnbaqra
The Japanese plum, Prunus salicina, actually originated in China and is different from the European plum or prune. The plum is a round drupe with a smooth skin that is green, yellow, rose, red or dark purple. The flesh is generally yellow and in some varieties rose or reddish, and has a pleasant juicy sweet taste. At the centre of the fruit we find a single flattened small round stone.
Pomegrante – Rummiena
The pomegranate tree, Punica granatum, is a native of Persia and was spread around the Mediterranean by the fruit has a hard yellow to wholly red thick rind that splits open with the first rains. Inside are hundreds of closely packed juicy rose or red arils with a pulp that is both sweet and tart, each enclosing a small hard or semi-soft stone. Both the tree and the fruit have medicinal properties.
Tomato – Tadama
The fruit of the tomato plant, Lycopersicon esculentum, is a 16th century import from America. It is a berry that has thin reddish skin, juicy insipid to sweet flesh rich in vitamin A and C, and small yellowish seeds. Fruit shape can be round, oval, pear-shaped or ribbed. The tomato has found a place in the culinary traditions of many countries, and is eaten as a vegetable, added to cooked dishes, made into juice, paste, pulp, and excellent sauces. Local “Kunserva” has been officially recognised by the EU as a processed tomato product.
Watermelon – Dulliegha
The watermelon is a ground trailing vine, Citrullus vulgaris, cultivated in Africa since ancient times. The fruit is a pepo, a berry with a hard rind and an oblong or round shape. The rind is green with longitudinal white greyish dapples, enclosing refreshing sweet yellow, pink or red flesh, in which are embedded several small flattened black seeds. The fruit can reach a large size and a weight of over 20 kilos.
Orange – Laringa
Like all citrus fruits, the fruit of the orange tree, Citrus sinensis, is classified as a hesperidium, a fruit with thick rind containing essential oils and a pulp divided into easily separated juicy segments. The rind changes from green to yellow or orange, while the sweet acid juicy segments, rich in vitamin C, can be yellow, orange, pink or blood red. A large number of varieties permit an extended harvesting season from October until July.
Olive – Zebbuga
The olive, the oil-bearing fruit of the olive tree, Olea europaea, is an evergreen native of the Eastern Mediterranean. The live drupe can be round, oval or elliptic, with a thin skin that changes from green to black, and has a central hard stone. Olives are classified as table olives, oil olives or dual purpose. To be eaten, olives need to be treated to remove the fruit’s bitterness. The olive is the only fruit with a high amount of oil in its pulp that can be extracted by cold press.
Peach – Hawha
The peach tree, Prunus persica, is a native of China that reached Europe along the Silk Route. The peach is a large, round drupe with a furry, yellow, orange to deep red coloured skin. The soft flesh can be white, yellow or red, and has an exquisite aroma and a sweet taste. Nectarines, “Nuciprisk”, are peaches with a smooth skin.
Apple – Tuffieha
A native of Central Asia, the apple tree, Malus domestica, has been cultivated in Europe since Roman times. The skin is smooth and tough, green, yellow or red, while the flesh is crunchy white enclosing several locules with dark brown pips. The taste is neutral to very sweet, perfumed, acid or spicy, depending on the variety. Commercial apple varieties have a long shelf life and are a popular choice as a quick snack.
Melon – Bettieha
The melon, Cucumis melo, a native of Asia, is a trailing or climbing vine. The globular or oval fruit, a pepo, contains pale green to deep orange flesh that is sugary and has a musky odour, and a hollow space filled with elliptic creamy coloured seeds. The most popular types are the netted melon or cantaloupe, the smooth or honeydew melon and the
winter melon.
This set of stamps will be available in First Day Cover
format, cancelled or mint, as a souvenir folder or presentation pack, from all Maltapost retail outlets in Malta and Gozo or from the Philatelic Bureau (tel. 2596-1747, email [email protected]). Additional information is available on the Maltapost website www.maltapost.com