a brief history of food in malta

7/29/2019 A Brief History of Food in Malta

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A Brief History of Food in Malta

Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea,the island of Malta has a long history of settlers andinvaders. When humans first set foot on the islands,Malta was still mainly a woodland and the new

settlers diet was predominantly plant based,though they also ate game which they hunted.

Over the centuries, crop cultivation and animal husbandrywere given a boost. In fact, with the arrival of thePhoenicians in Malta, and their love for olives, theyinitiated a large scale olive oil industry in Malta. The

Romans followed up on this initiative and during theirsojourn in Malta olive cultivation flourished. Remains ofthis olive oil industry can be found in various placesaround Malta. Village names like ejtun, a-ebbu andBirebbua reflect the connection of these localities withthis crop and its oil. Remains of an olive pressing factoryfrom the Roman period were found at San Pawl MilqinearBurmarrad. With the decline of the Roman Empire, oliveoil production dwindled to a mere subsistence level.

Under Arab rule, Malta experienced new agriculture-linked innovations. The Maltese

were introduced to new crops, like car ob, figs and citrus. The Arabs also introducedthe technique of dry-stone wall construction, which led to a stepped terraceagricultural landscape still evident today. These new rulers had a goodunderstanding of how to conserve and manage scarce water supplies. They areaccredited for introducing new irrigation methods to the islands. Water harvestingmachines like the norija or waterwheel, locally called is-sienja were also introduced.During this period, agriculture in Malta flourished. Woodlands were being cut down tomake way for agricultural land space with the wood was used for ship building.

Is-Sienja: A wheel-type contraption driven bya draft animal, turns a number of bucketswhich draw up water from a deep artesianwell fed by horizontal galleries which collectwater from the groundwater table. Water isstored in a reservoir and distributed to thefield via rock-cut channels.

Is-sienja


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The walled city of Mdina

The Victor Kitchen

With the fall of the Arab rule and Maltasfeudal period, life for the Maltese wasdifficult. The population was subjected toconstant pirate raids that made lifeprecarious. The inhabitants deserted coastalareas and moved closer to the walled town

of Mdina (in Malta) and Rabat (in Gozo).Those who lived on farms with no wallprotection were often carried off intoslavery, and so cultivation of crops becamevirtually impossible. Grain and other foodimportation became necessary.

During the rule of the Knights of St. John, often referred to as the Golden Age forMalta, various advances in overall health, education and wealth of the Maltese tookplace. Many Maltese learnt trades that were necessary during this period, whilstothers were fully employed by the Order. In this period Malta used to export variousfood items, including oranges, orange-blossom water, lemons, preserved apricots,pomegranates, honey and cumin. Meat and poultry were also being consumed in largequantities, particularly by the Knights and their guests. Wild rabbit and game huntingare also mentioned as a common source of food in historical documents. Ice wasimported from Etna in Sicily to make sorbet-like sweets.

The two-year French rule in Malta hardly had anyinfluence on the Maltese food system, but radicalchanges were experienced under the British rule,from 1800 to 1964. The addition of Malta to theBritish Empire was a voluntary request made by theMaltese people in an attempt to rid the Malteseislands of the French. It was soon evident that therewas a willingness by the locals to succumb to thelifestyle of the new colonisers. Moreover, Maltasstrategic location in the centre of the Mediterraneanmade it an excellent station for British Armed Forcesand many army and naval officers posted herebrought along their families. As a result, a lot of foodwas imported and many Maltese were employed ashousekeepers and cooks. The dietary habits of theseBritish families were quickly adopted and adapted bythe Maltese. Foods such as fry-ups, roast meat meals,

custard, sponge cakes and puddings became staplesin many local households.

During World War II food was scarce. Many staples were rationedand the British government also organised the Victory Kitchens forthe Maltese who were is a dire state of poverty. The VictoryKitchens and the immediate post-war period brought theintroduction of new food like corned beef, cheddar cheese andbutter which were unheard of before in Malta.

During the French rule, under

Napoleon command, theMaltese food system was hardlyaffected.


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Maltese potatoes for export

While British rule ended in 1964, its traces and influences on Maltese culture are stillvisible. This is particularly reflected in food consumption patterns for both everydayand special occasion meals. Yet the high fat, high sugar and salt-laden food that theMaltese grew accustomed to thanks to the British settlers, have had a negative impacton the health status of the Maltese population. (See below report extracts dated 1839[early British rule] and 1988 [post British rule].)

During the mid-1970s and 1980s, Maltaexperienced a period of restricted foodimportation. These restrictions led to the

promotion of local products. New localproducts were produced for the local marketand for exportation, and this enhanced thelocal economy. New agricultural crops werealso cultivated for local and foreign markets.One example is Maltese potatoes, still highlyregarded to date in the Netherlands. Onionsand capers also started being exported.

Dietary Habits of the Maltese 1839 and 1988

The Maltese use very little animal food; bread, with vegetables of thecountry, and occasionally a little fish, forms their principal sustenance,

and the healthy and efficient state of the corps may no doubt beattributed to the important circumstance that, in becoming soldiers,they have not been required to change the simple diet which natureseems to have pointed out to the inhabitants of all southern latitudes

as most conducive to their health.

Statistical Report on the Sickness, Mortality and Invaliding Among the Troopsin the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean and the British America. London,

1839, p29a.

Available dietary data show the average Maltese diet is not a healthyone. It is especially rich in fats and sugar and low in fibre. The Maltese

are now faced with new health risks which are associated with eatingtoo much of certain types of food.

Formulation of a Nutrition Policy Report of the First Conference on Nutrition inMalta. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 1988.


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Maltese traditional food

In the late 1980s, the importation market was liberalised. This meant new foodproducts were available on the market. Maltese consumers had freedom to choosefrom both local and foreign products. In fact, importation of new foodstuffs ranrampant. Local products had a lot of competition and in the long run their productionhad to be stopped due to price and quality competition.

The tourism industry in the 1970s and 1980s also had an impact on the food systemin Malta. Locals had to be trained to prepare foreign food cuisines so as to gratify thegastronomic needs of the visiting tourists. This availability of different dishes inrestaurants and hotels also led to the introduction of new foods and food preparationmethods in Maltese households.

Modernisation also brought with it the introduction to the island of fast food chainoutlets. These were sprouting rapidly in the late 1990s taking over the localpastizzeria outlets. Nowadays, both modern and traditional snack food outlets coexist,although this fast food craze seems to have contributed to a deterioration in theMaltese health status with increased incidences of diet-related diseases, particularlyobesity amongst the younger generation.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in therediscovery of traditional Maltese food. This may havebeen partly spurred by a similar international movementto safeguard local traditional foods, as well as bydemand by tourists who are also seeking the local farewhen visiting the islands.Farmers co-operatives are forming to develop andpackage products made from local crops. New recipebooks provide an insightful and practical introduction totraditional Maltese food. The Ministry of Tourism is also

promoting local produce by organising food festivals likeThe Mediterranean Food Festival, the Wine festival orthe Festa tat-Tonn (tuna feast). Similarly, Local Councilsin towns and villages are organising special theme daysor weekends such as Il-Festa tal-ob(bread feast) inQormi. A movement called Fondazzjoni Fulkarwas founded to create awareness aboutMaltese food culture by disseminating information through the organisation of coursesabout Maltese and Mediterranean food aimed at the general public and specialistsalike.

Even local stamps have been minted with

traditional food images (e.g. the fenkata -rabbit stew, which is known as the nationaldish, and the bar mimli- stuffed peppers,a common dish in Malta).

These recent initiatives could be considered a step in the right direction to a moresustainable food system, where local produce is given a boost, and healthier food isconsumed for the benefit of the islands economy and Maltese society in general.Hopefully, our children who are presently eating less traditional foods and opting for amore Westernised diet, as their Mediterranean counterparts, will see light and begin

to appreciate their ancestors gastronomy and realise its nutritive and sustainablebenefits.


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Further Reading

http://www.springerlink.com/content/g5ql4g1m97612845/Paper titled: The Maltese food system and the Mediterranean by P. J. Atkins andM. Gastoni that seeks to understand the Maltese food system in the context of itshistory and its geographical position within a broad Mediterranean setting of food

production, processing, marketing and consumption.Accessed: February 4, 2009

http://www.drustvo-antropologov.si/AN/PDF/2006_1/Anthropological_Notebooks_XII-1_8.pdfArticle titled: When Tradition Becomes Trendy: Social distinction in Maltese FoodCulture by Elise Billiard, which delves into the historical and social aspects of theMaltese Food Culture.Accessed: February 4, 2009

http://www.imednet.it/DELTA/download2/newsletter/3_EN.pdfArticle titled: Gastronomy and Typical Products: A Way to Develop Territorial CulturalSystem by Nadia Theuma.Accessed: February 4, 2009

a brief history of food in malta

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