Aljotta
Fish soup. A rich fish stock laced with plenty of garlic, tomatoes, fresh majoram and given extra bulk with rice.

Bragjoli
A thin slice of beef wrapped around a stuffing of breadcrumbs, chopped bacon, hard-boiled eggs and herbs, then braised in red wine.

Fenek
Rabbit is almost a national dish here. It has even given rise to a word for a special kind of night out – the Fenkata, which is a group of friends out dining on rabbit. A fenkata is a sociable, simple and fun way to get together for an evening out. The rabbit is usually lightly fried, then simmered as a cassarole of red wine for several hours. It is served with chips or potatoes and salad. Some village bars are renowned for the excellence of their rabbit. Ask around to find out where to go.

Figolla
An Easter-time speciality. Icing-coated biscuits stuffed with a mixture of ground almonds.

Gbejniet
These small round cheeselets are as ideal for a hearty lunch with a slab of crusty bread as they are as an accompaniment to pre-dinner drinks. They come both fresh and preserved (in oil, vinegar or vacuum-packed). The fresh ones have a smooth texture and a subtle flavour. Try the gutsier peppered ones which are ideal with galletti (a local type of cracker biscuit) and served with a glass of robust red wine. Gozo is well known for its gbejniet production.

Helwa tat-Tork
A very sweet sugary mixture of crushed and whole almonds. It is often offered with coffee after dinner.

Hobza
A very crusty bread with a deliciously soft inside which is the mainstay of a meal. It is a snack in itself served with simple local produce like fresh tomatoes and gbejniet cheese. Hobz biz Zejt is a crusty roll, or sometimes a Ftira (small ring-shaped bread) which is halved, smeared with ripe tomatoes, and filled with a mixture of tuna, capers, onions and mint and sometimes also with butter beans. Each bar and household has a different version of ingredients in hobz biz-Zejt, but they all make a substantial alternative to a quick lunchtime sandwich.

Imqaret
Date-filled, deep-fried pastries which are served piping hot from take-away stands. Look out for them at City Gate, Valletta. They are so delicious you will also come across them on the desert menu in some restaurants.

Qaghaq tal-ghasel
Honey or treacle rings made from a light pastry. They are often served in small pieces as an after-dinner accompaniment to coffee. You’ll find them in most confectioners.

Kannoli
A tube-shaped confectionery of deep-fried crisp pastry stuffed with fresh ricotta and sweetened with pieces of chocolate and candied fruit. Eaten as a treat any time of day, and also offered after dinner.

Kapunata
A Maltese version of Ratatouille made from tomatoes, capers, aubergines and green peppers which goes well with grilled fish.

Kusksu
A hearty soup; a spring favourite since it is made of fresh broad beans.

Minestra
The start of many a Maltese meal is soup. Traditionally minestra is a healthy, thick soup combining numerous fresh and dried vegetables and accompanied by a hearty, slice of crusty Maltese bread, hobza.

Pastizzi
A popular snack for all Islanders. You’ll come across them in most bars or from special pastizzi take-away places – usually hole-in-the-wall affairs with a small metal oven by the doorstep. Pastizzi are small, diamond-shaped packets of flaky pastry stuffed with either fresh ricotta or a mushy pea mixture. Sometimes they are slightly spicy and made from shortcrust pastry.

Qarabali
Baby marrows. These are particular delicious stuffed with minced beef, parsley and baked, or made into a creamy soup.

Ravjul
Pasta is the staple of many families’ diets. While people these days do buy ready-made varieties, there are many bars and households where homemade ravioli is prepared. It is usually filled with ricotta and fresh parsley, or with minced meat, and covered with a rich tomato sauce made with celery and basil and topped with freshly-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Soppa tal-Armla
Known as Widow’s Soup, this dish is similar to minestra, a thick vegetable soup, but it is rounded off with gbejniet - goat or sheep’s cheeselet – which melts into the hot soup.

Timpana
Baked macaroni filled with a small amount of minced beef and sometime also hard-boiled eggs. The macaroni is topped with a light flaky pastry crust. It is a mainstay of rural midday meals, and is certainly a hearty snack.

Torta tal-Lampuki
A favourite of the autumn kitchen when the ‘national’ fish, the Lampuka, or dorado, is in season. The fish has fine, white meat with only a few large bones. It is excellent for lightly pan-frying in olive oil, oven-baking with a rich tomato, onion, caper and wine sauce, or, making into a fish pie with spinach, cauliflower, capers, sultanas, hard-boiled eggs, herbs, and topped with shortcrust pastry.