Work through the list in order. Hide the notes when you know what to do.
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Try Maltese rabbit stew (Stuffat tal-fenek)
Malta's undisputed national dish features rabbit slow-braised for hours in red wine, abundant garlic, bay leaves, tomato kunserva, and potatoes until meltingly tender.
A traditional communal rabbit feast is called a fenkata, where the rich gravy coats a starter of spaghetti before the meat itself is served.
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Try fresh pastizzi
Malta's quintessential street snack consists of flaky, blistered phyllo-like pastry parcels stuffed either with fresh sheep's ricotta or spiced curried mushy peas.
Buy them exclusively from neighborhood pastizzeriji where they roll out fresh batches hourly and serve them piping hot on greaseproof paper.
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Try Ħobż biż-żejt
Thick slices of crusty Maltese sourdough rubbed with ripe tomatoes or sweet kunserva paste, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with tuna, capers, olives, and fresh mint.
The definitive seaside staple; widely available at beach kiosks and village bars, where it is often assembled inside a halved ftira loaf.
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Try authentic Gozitan ftira
A wood-fired flatbread unique to the island of Gozo with folded pastry edges, layered with paper-thin sliced potatoes, sheep cheeselets, tomatoes, and anchovies.
Do not confuse it with regular Maltese sandwich bread; Gozo ftira is a distinct baked pie prepared fresh in historic village bakeries.
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Try ġbejniet sheep cheeselets
Small round cheeselets crafted from sheep's or goat's milk. Sample them fresh and soft (friski), sun-dried (moxxi), or cured in vinegar and crushed black pepper (tal-bżar).
The most pungent peppered versions hail from rural Gozo farms; they star on local antipasto platters alongside crisp galletti water crackers.
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Try timpana
The ultimate comfort bake: penne pasta tossed in a rich beef and pork ragù, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese, completely encased in a golden puff pastry shell.
Sold by the square slab in everyday bakeries; it is heavy, deeply comforting, and easily substitutes for a full sit-down midday meal.
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Try aljotta fish soup
A fragrant Maltese bouillabaisse brewed from small rock fish simmered with heaps of smashed garlic, fresh mint, diced tomatoes, marjoram, and a handful of rice.
Order this in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk during the lively Sunday fish market when small catch is freshest.
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Try seasonal lampuki pie (Torta tal-lampuki)
A traditional autumn pie filled with tender fillets of lampuki (mahi-mahi/dorado), braised cauliflower, spinach, green olives, capers, and crushed walnuts.
Strictly seasonal: the lampuki migration past the Maltese archipelago runs from late August through November.
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Try bragioli (beef olives)
Thinly beaten beef slices wrapped around a stuffing of minced bacon, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, and chopped hard-boiled egg, slow-braised in red wine and tomatoes.
Often translated in English menus as 'beef olives', though the recipe contains zero olives—the name refers to their historical oblong shape.
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Try Ross il-forn
Maltese baked rice tossed in a rich meat sauce spiced with saffron and curry powder, bound with beaten eggs, and baked until a crunchy cheese crust forms.
A classic Sunday family staple best ordered at unpretentious village trattorias and band club diners.
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Try kusksu bil-ful
A comforting spring soup made with tender broad beans, garlic, kunserva, and tiny pasta peppercorn beads, crowned with a whole melting round of fresh ġbejna cheese.
Despite the name sounding like Maghrebi couscous, Maltese kusksu refers strictly to miniature round pasta beads boiled in broth.
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Try Zalzett tal-Malti
Coarse pork sausage seasoned distinctly with crushed coriander seeds, sea salt, garlic, and cracked black pepper, preserved in natural casings.
Commonly served sliced raw on tasting platters with water crackers, or sliced thick and grilled in rustic pasta dishes.
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Try Kapunata
The Maltese iteration of ratatouille, braising eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, capers, and green olives in good olive oil without heavy Sicilian vinegar sweetness.
A naturally vegan favorite; served hot as an accompaniment to grilled fish or chilled as a rich spread over warm bread.
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Try warm imqaret Desserts and pastries
Diamond-shaped pastries stuffed with spiced date paste infused with aniseed, cloves, and citrus zest, flash-fried in boiling oil and served blisteringly hot.
Best grabbed from street carts near Valletta's City Gate, often accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream in sit-down bistros.
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Try Qagħaq tal-għasel (treacle rings) Desserts and pastries
Pastry rings with decorative slits revealing a rich, dark filling made from black treacle, citrus peel, cinnamon, cloves, and aniseed.
Historically a Christmas treat, these aromatic rings are now enjoyed year-round alongside afternoon black tea or coffee.
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Try Maltese kannoli Desserts and pastries
Crisp, bubbly fried pastry shells stuffed to order with sweetened local sheep's milk ricotta, dark chocolate flakes, candied peel, and pistachios.
Ensure the pastry is piped fresh upon ordering; pre-filled shells turn soggy quickly in Malta's maritime humidity.
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Try Pudina tal-ħobż Desserts and pastries
A traditional thrift dessert transforming stale sourdough bread into a dense, spiced cake soaked with milk, cocoa, sultanas, citrus peel, and vanilla.
Served in hearty, dense squares at village coffee bars as a wholesome, unpretentious accompaniment to espresso.
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Try Kinnie soda Non-alcoholic drinks
Malta's signature bittersweet soda invented in 1952; brewed from bitter Mediterranean Seville oranges (chinotto) blended with aromatic wormwood herbs.
Always drink it chilled over ice with an orange slice; the pleasantly bitter herbal bite is exceptionally refreshing in summer heat.
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Try te fit-tazza Non-alcoholic drinks
The iconic Maltese working-class morning drink: strong English black tea served piping hot in a transparent glass tumbler with unsweetened evaporated milk.
Order it at local band clubs alongside your morning pastizzi; hold the glass tumbler carefully by its rim to avoid burning your fingers.
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Try Ruġġata Non-alcoholic drinks
A refreshing heritage cordial made from crushed almond syrup diluted with iced water, perfumed with fragrant orange blossom water.
Traditionally sipped during summer village feasts (festa); bottles of concentrated syrup are widely sold in traditional grocery shops.
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Try Cisk lager Local alcohol
Malta's iconic golden pale lager, brewed locally since 1929; crisp, light-bodied, and finishing with a pleasant grassy hop bitterness.
Pronounced 'Chisk', after the local banking family; order it ice-cold in a can at any beachfront stand or village square.
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Try Bajtra prickly pear liqueur Local alcohol
A sweet, vibrant digestive liqueur distilled from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus that covers the Maltese drystone walls and countryside.
Best enjoyed chilled neat after a meal or topped with chilled prosecco as an archipelago-inspired spritz.
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Try Ġellewża and Girgentina indigenous wines Local alcohol
Malta's rare indigenous grape varieties: red Ġellewża produces light, fruity reds and refreshing sparkling rosés, while white Girgentina delivers crisp citrus notes.
Look for the D.O.K. Malta or Gozo label to ensure 100% estate-grown fruit from the archipelago's boutique hillside plots.
