During a conference organised by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Parliamentary secretary Mario de Marco urged all operators in the field to promote local cuisine.
We could not agree more. If one looks at gastronomic trends around the world, everyone is going back to their roots. From London to Venice, restaurants are returning to the local dishes of old. Good wholesome food with fresh ingredients.
The Maltese are no different. You go to Spain you eat paella, in Brussels you eat mussels, in Germany you eat pork and sausage. It is fact. It is part of the experience. When people visit a country, they want to sample the local delights.
For many years Maltese tried to mimic the cooking of places such as Italy and France, completely ignoring the rich and cultured cuisine that was grown here, in Malta. We forgot about bragjoli (beef olives), fenek (rabbit), soppa tal-armla, balbuljata. Yes, these are the dishes that we mean – we do not mean pastizzi (cheesecakes) and salads. Of course, those too, are part of the whole package, but we need to rekindle the fondness for the dishes of yore.
A few years ago, we Maltese thought we were getting back in touch with our culinary roots in starting to use olive oil once more, eating more greens and salads and pastas… this is all well and good. But that is not Maltese eating – that is Mediterranean eating.
What we now need to do is rediscover some amazing dishes that were born out of necessity in harsher times.
There are many taverns which are featuring torta tal-lampuki, froga tat-tarja and other such weird and wonderful creations as the main items on the menu. And good for them. Eating Maltese does not have to mean people dressed up in silly folk costumes performing dances and singing songs. Eating Maltese should mean eating good, home cooked food that has been prepared with – as chefs say – love and pride.
Malta has some amazing ingredients and dishes. We need not be shy. Tourists are not squeamish. They will try snails, they will try octopus, they will try clams… they might not necessarily enjoy them or go back for more, but they will try them because it is all part of the experience. Let’s face it, we all do it… “Guess what, I tried frogs’ legs in Paris.”
As MHRA President George Micallef pointed out, the internet is also a very important tool, with as many as 75% of visitors doing their homework online before visiting a country. By increasing their internet presence and offering good, wholesome traditional foods, Malta can continue on its culinary journey. The key to it all is never to lose sight of the wood for the trees. We are blessed with a unique culinary melting pot. We should make the most of it.