A heavenly food tour steeped in culture around the ancient walled city, Mdina.
They say one of the best ways to get to know a nation is through its food. Of course, that rings perfectly true of Malta, where the cuisine is the ultimate reflection of centuries of history and the countless peoples that have provided influence.
Thus, with today’s foodie culture in mind, what could be better than a fun, flavourful food tour to help you delve into the aspects of the island that interest you most? With that in mind, we chose to join an Offbeat Food Trail – a tour that combines interesting history with a walk around the old capital… and LOTS of food.
Our tour starts just outside Mdina, on the outskirts of the town of Rabat, and we are greeted by friendly Maria, who will be our guide. She takes us to a local gem that has attracted food lovers for decades – Crystal Palace (also known as is-Serkin). We admit, it isn’t much to look at, but inside you’ll quickly learn why people flock here. The main items on the menu are pastizzi – crunchy little filo pastry pies filled with ricotta cheese or mushy peas. They are an absolute staple of Maltese cuisine, and locals usually enjoy them with a steaming-hot cup of sweet tea. On the tour, however, (and given the warmth of the evening) we took the opportunity to pair them with a cold glass of local Cisk beer – and they were absolutely delicious.
With every last crumb of pastizzi enjoyed, we headed back out to start the tour in earnest. Mdina is an absolute jewel on the island – with its high stone walls, imposing buildings and fascinating alley ways. It feels as if the incredible past of the place is omnipresent and you can quite imagine the Knights walking the streets.
As we walk, Maria talks through the extraordinary history here, providing interesting titbits that you wouldn’t find in a guide book – and all with a great sense of fun. She guides us to our next stop – Medina restaurant. It is set within a pretty, old building and we make ourselves at home in the courtyard. Here we are served an ample sharing platter of local treats, and they are all absolutely delicious. Fresh and aged Maltese ġbejna (goats’ cheese), crusty sourdough bread with sweet tomato paste, bigilla (a bean dip made with garlic and fresh herbs), and Maltese sausage, washed down with a glass of the local soft drink, Kinnie. As we munch away, Maria talks through the historical influences that inspired most of the items, and shares anecdotes around why they each became so popular. This also gives everyone on the tour the chance to chat and get to know one another; it’s easy to find lots in common when you all have such a keen interest in food.
And although we’re already feeling very well fed, it’s time to move on. Maria leads us to our next destination, via a lovely amble through more of the main and back streets of Mdina. We take a moment to look over the bastions and take in the view, before proceeding to Palazzo de Piro – which is home to one of the most popular restaurants within the city’s walls. Here it’s time for the main course – the national Maltese dish of rabbit (although a fish or vegetarian alternative is also available). It was cooked in a traditional way (stewed in wine and lovely herbs) and the whole table loved it – accompanied by crispy roast potatoes and wonderful local wine, as we watched the sun set over the bastions.
Now, you’d think that that would be enough – but there was still dessert to go. Beforehand, though, we enjoyed a leisurely walk through night-time Mdina – enjoying the prettily-lit streets. Throughout this time Maria explained key highlights, sharing stories about the buildings and their noble owners, and anecdotes from history.
Finally, we made it to our last stop – Trattoria AD1530, which sits opposite the beautiful and imposing Vilhena Palace. Here we went indoors to tuck into traditional imqaret – local pastry cases filled with dates and topped with honey, and accompanied by a homemade orange liqueur. Delicious!
Of course, conversation flowed as the whole group swapped stories about food and tips for enjoying Malta even more; we all agreed that food makes firm friends of people very quickly.
So, as we said our goodbyes (some even swapping email contacts) and walked out into the night for Maria to show us the way home, we felt fantastic – well fed, well versed and having enjoyed excellent company!
