if you’ve never read it,
the
Times of Malta
is
an amazing newspaper. It never dropped an
issue during Malta’s bombardment by the
Germans in the war and it continues its
proud tradition today. Recently, the paper’s
commentators have been concerned with the island
nation’s... how shall I put it... sedentary lifestyle.
In short, Malta is one of the fattest countries in Europe.
They blame the British, who occupied them for centuries
and perhaps steered them away from the Mediterranean
diet that would have naturally been theirs, and they also
blame soft-drinks companies.
I knowMalta quite well as my dad lives there and it’s
true that many of its most delicious snacks are richer than,
say, bruschetta or dolmades.
Pastizzi
, for instance, are a
bit like filled croissants. They’re often stuffed with
ricotta.
Ravjul moqli
, the sweet, fried ravioli,
are equally as naughty. Go to Malta and it’s
easy to eat meat and carbs three times
a day, but healthy food is abundant too.
Shakinah
(shakinahmalta.com),
in St
Julian’s, is one of the newest of Malta’s
1,000-odd restaurants. It opened a fewmonths ago,
serving lightly spiced Indian and Arabian food, including
fattoush
(tomato, cucumber and bread salad) and
tabbouleh
(bulgar wheat salad). Then there’s De Mondion
(demondion.com)
, which has won “best restaurant in
Malta” four out of the past five years and is justifiably
famed for its local fish, which comes with asparagus,
grilled gem lettuce and a lemongrass velouté.
The trick is to keep things simple. The best bits of Maltese
cuisine are seasonal and rustic, using vegetables, fresh
cheese, bread and a little meat.
Lampuki
, the Maltese name
for dorado, are landed when they’re a little bigger than
sardines, grilled and served in a piquant sauce with capers
and fresh herbs,
bigilla
is a pâté made from broad beans and
garlic,
kapunata
is a Maltese variant of ratatouille.
But the island’s healthiest asset has to be its
abundant waters – as a trip to the Masaxlokk
fish market on a Sunday morning will
prove. With a nice piece of red mullet sided
by olives, green salad and a glass of local
wine, you’ll start to think there’s no
excuse for anyone in Malta to be fat.
“Fat off the island”
Malta may be in the midst of an obesity crisis, but
Oliver Thring
has the inside
track on eating healthily on the Mediterranean isle
E A T
M Y W O R D S
M A L T A
ILLUSTRATION
DALE EDWIN MURRAY
It’s easy
to eat meat and
carbs three times
a day, but healthy food
is abundant too
1 0 3
V I E W P O I N T S
