The Prickly Pear. Possibly the Most Dangerous Fruit in the World.

The Prickly Pear fruit.  Insert expletives where required.

Also known as 'Opuntial', or 'Tuna' (no relation to the fish), or as I have christened it: 'Bastard Fruit'.

Top 5 Irish Foods I wish I could buy in Malta

It must be said that there are a large number of Irish and (especially) British foodstuffs available on the island, which is why this list is not over-long.   For example Kerrygold butter is in every shop, and Irish beef and lamb is very easy to find too, as is (British) Cadbury chocolate which many Irish emigrants in the U.S. pine for.

However there are those few items you sometimes wish you could get your hands on, although there's always the friendly neighbourhood internet to help in such cases...

Here's my list, and if you see any of these in a Maltese supermarket be sure to let me know:

5.  Butler's Chocolate



Bit of a luxury product to kick off with, so not exactly an everyday staple, but these chocolates are pretty special.  I got a box of them in the post last summer from my generous aunt, and even though the Maltese sun had turned them into an amorphous glob, they still tasted great.  That, my friend, is the sign of good chocolate.

Restaurant Review: Malet Restaurant

There are a lot of restaurants and cafes in Bugibba serving up standard fare and sea views for lunch and dinner.  Nothing wrong with that of course - when you visit a hot country it's nice to be able to enjoy your steak and chips al fresco, with the sun on your back.

However, if you want to try some real Maltese cuisine while you're out here, (like the rabbit in the photo above), you might want to check out Malet restaurant on St Simon's Street instead.  

Fruit, Vegetables... and Doughnuts

Part of the charm of Malta for many visitors from the UK (and various other locales), is it's 'olde worlde' feel.  I'm talking about the way you can find a blacksmith's or a cobbler's in every town, and most of the shops are small family-run places rather than extensions of some corporate entity.  Another manifestation of this is the vans that trundle through every suburb, and set up as fruit & veg stalls in what seems like every second back-street around.  It's nice to be able to pop downstairs and pick up a couple of fresh tomatoes or a bag full of oranges.

A lot of the trucks are delivering their ware direct from local farms, and at pretty decent prices too, so well worth buying some of your groceries here if you come across one of these chaps.

However, these days you can find vans selling somewhat less healthy products on Malta's winding streets...

Gluten-Free in Malta

Here in the western world, it seems like allergies of various kinds are on the rise.  And no, it's not because 'young folk are softer than when I were a lad...',  scientific studies seem to back this up.  Maybe it's because of the amount of chemicals we come into contact with every day.  Or due to the fact that we eat such a wide variety of foods from around the globe.  In the case of gluten allergies, there's a theory that that whole Neolithic period when people started growing crops and eating dairy products may have resulted in our digestive systems becoming somewhat messed up.  It could be all or none of those things.  I don't know, because in spite of what you may imagine, I am not a scientist. 

Top Ten Things to Eat (and Drink) in Malta

Humans like top ten lists.  (Especially the Men humans, they makes us feel as though there is organization and righteousness to the universe, which is always reassuring).  So here is my list of the top ten things - in very particular order - to stick in your gullet during your stay on the island:

1.  Maltese Sausage: Maybe it's because I've recently returned from a Muslim country where pork is hard to come by, I don't know.  But that first pasta with Maltese sausage just tasted absolutely delicious.  In fact they've been a favourite of mine since I first came to the island.  I don't know whether it's the garlic, the coriander or the rosemary, but they just taste great.  And speaking from my vast experience on the subject, it's a shame more local restaurants don't include Maltese sausages in their English breakfasts.

Malta at Christmas - What's on the Table?

Food glorious food.   So what can you expect in terms of traditional Maltese fare at this time of year?  Well as you may expect given the strong British influence, it's pretty much what you find on the table in Manchester or Maidestone.   Turkey, ham, brussel sprouts... you know the drill.

It wasn't always that way.  In the past you may have been served up the smaller relation of the turkey (that's the chicken) either in broth form or baked and surrounded with potatoes.  Pork used to be a popular option as well, and the more Italian baked macaroni made it's appearance in many households.  Maybe it still does but I don't know as I haven't been invited to a Maltese family home for Christmas, Maltese families having far too much sense for such an invitation to be proffered.