A taste of vegetarian Malta

Last updated on October 22, 2021

Maltese breads by Matty Cremona

I thought I’d treat you to a little food porn this Wednesday with a taste of Maltese cuisine. On my recent trip there, I was lucky enough to be cooked for by Matty Cremona, a Maltese food historian, who is also a talented chef. She and her husband Sam (also known as “The Godfather of Maltese Olive Oil”) have a small olive farm in the hills of Wardija and we were invited there for lunch. It was a wonderful introduction to the vegetarian possibilities of Maltese cuisine, which is normally quite fishy what with Malta being an island. Everything Matty cooked used fresh produce from the island. She prides herself on local cuisine. And of course, the olive oil took centre stage. Here is what we ate including the fabulous breads in the photo above. One is a Maltese loaf, another is stuffed with olives, and the biggest is pull-apart pesto bread. 

Stuffed artichoke by matty Cremona

Stuffed artichokes with capers and breadcrumbs.

Aubergine in Malta by Matty Cremona

Perfectly grilled aubergine.

Malta-45

Beetroot and ricotta.

Maltese tart by Matty Cremona

A traditional Maltese tart with pea and ricotta.

Tomatoes in Malta

Gorgeous fresh herbed tomatoes.

Chocolate orange tart

A fabulous chocolate orange tart for dessert.

Coffe and homemade bramble liqueur by Matty Cremona

And an espresso accompanied by home-made bramble liquer for dessert. Delicious!

Matty Cremona in Orangerie

After our meal, Matty took us out to the orangery and sent us on our way with fresh oranges in hand. Doesn’t freshly-picked produce always taste better?

Ornage flower

The food was indeed as good as it looks and if you’re ever able to visit the Cremona farm, I highly recommend it. The olive oil is worth it alone. Sam and Matty are also a fascinating pair. It was Sam who spearheaded a campaign to bring indigenous olives back to Malta (prior to 1997 most oil produced there was known as “Italian oil produced in Malta”), and Matty has written several books including The Way We Ate: Memories of Maltese Meals. The farm offers tours, tastings and lunch for small groups by appointment only. You can email them at [email protected].

I was invited to Malta by the Blog Island Malta campaign. I was free to write what I wished and all opinions are of course my own.  The campaign was created by the people at iambassador in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority and the support of Air Malta. Thanks for inviting me to the fairytale land!

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23 thoughts on “A taste of vegetarian Malta”

  1. This all looks wonderful. Such simple ingredients, but being so fresh I’m sure they tasted great. The chocolate orange tart looks particularly exquisite – do you think it could be easily veganised?!

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  2. until know I knew nothing about the food in Malta and for some reason I thought there are not many vegetarian options to choose from! Thanks for showing me how wrong I was! When I finally visit Malta (hopefully still this year!) it will be a food paradise for me!

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  3. Ohh, you can’t do this! to put these photos after we ate the processed food here in Malaysia 😀
    Looks fabulous and I wouldn’t mind going for bits if beetroot and ricotta with some pesto bread

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  4. Looks so good… drool. Was it difficult being a vegetarian there? Aside from the fish, do they eat a lot of meat too? We’ve been vegetarian for awhile now! Are you still thinking of creating a vegetarian blog? Would love to read it 🙂

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    • Hmmm, it wasn’t super easy. They do eat a lot of meat and fish but most restaurants will either have a vegetarian option or be happy to make you one. The Veg Guide is still a possibility but lots of other things to do first!

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  5. I want to go to Malta now only to eat all this delicious food. The stuffed artichokes look so delicious. I hav to say these dishes are very similar to the traditional Italian ones and it’s understandable why 🙂

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  6. Oh, wow. This all looks insanely good! I seriously need to get myself to Malta soon. I’ve heard the weather is good all year, do you know if this is true?

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    • Hmmm, it depends what you mean by good. It does get quite chilly in the winter. I needed a light coat while I was there in April. It’s very hot in summer.

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  7. Wow, such delicious food! I’m so impressed by these vegetarian options. Eating out can often be quite limiting in terms of choice when you’re a vegetarian. This place seems like a great recommendation and one which I’ll use if and when I visit Malta. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. All the food looks absolutely amazing and very well photographed. We are going to Malta this August. I would love to read more tips for vegetarians on a holiday there!

    Reply

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