Traditional Maltese Recipes, Sunday Lunch & Seasonal Classics

Traditional Maltese recipes for everyday tables and feast days

Find classic Maltese soups, pies, seafood dishes, Sunday lunch favourites, and seasonal bakes.

Autumn in Malta: lampuki and San Martin bakes

Cook seasonal lampuki, or prepare for the November feast of St Martin with sweet aniseed buns and a fruit-and-nut cake.

Watercolour illustration of glazed St Martin sweet buns with sesame, liquorice sweets, walnuts and dried figs.

Ħobża ta' San Martin (St Martin's Sweet Buns)

Soft Maltese aniseed buns with a sugar glaze, sesame and an optional liquorice sweet, baked for the November feast of St Martin.

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Watercolour illustration of St Martin fruit and nut cake with a cut slice showing dates, figs and nuts.

Torta ta' San Martin (Maltese Fruit and Nut Cake)

A dense Maltese November cake packed with dates, dried figs, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. This version has no pastry crust.

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Watercolour illustration of golden fried lampuki fillets with garlic, parsley and lemon.

Lampuki Moqlija (Maltese Fried Mahi-Mahi)

Simple Maltese fried lampuki seasoned with lemon, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. A seasonal fish dish from late summer and autumn.

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Watercolour illustration of a sliced lampuki pie filled with fish, spinach, olives and tomato.

Torta tal-Lampuki (Maltese Fish Pie)

Maltese lampuki pie with mahi-mahi, spinach, olives, capers, and pine nuts in shortcrust pastry. Makes one 24cm pie for 6-8 people.

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Explore autumn and November recipes

Popular Maltese classics

Start with these reader favourites, from warming broth and savoury pies to bread and a dip to share.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese meat pie with a cut slice showing beef, peas and tomato.

Torta tal-Laħam (Maltese Meat Pie)

A traditional Maltese meat pie filled with minced beef, peas, tomato, herbs, and shortcrust pastry. Hearty and perfect for family meals.

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Watercolour illustration of clear beef broth with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and zucchini.

Brodu (Maltese Beef and Vegetable Broth)

Malta's comforting winter soup - a clear, rich meat broth simmered with seasonal vegetables. Simple, nourishing, and traditionally served on cold days.

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Watercolour illustration of a crusty round Maltese loaf with slices showing its airy crumb.

Ħobż Malti (Maltese-Style Home Bread)

Bake a crusty Maltese-style loaf with bread flour, dried yeast, and two rises. This home version of ħobż Malti needs no sourdough starter.

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Watercolour illustration of golden boat-shaped pastizzi with spiced split-pea filling.

Pastizzi tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pastries)

Classic Maltese flaky pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Crisp, savoury, and a favourite from every pastizzeria.

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Watercolour illustration of Bigilla in a terracotta bowl with broad beans, garlic, olive oil and lemon.

Bigilla (Traditional Maltese Bean Dip)

Make Bigilla with dried broad beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and parsley, with tips for a rustic texture and serving it with Maltese bread.

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Watercolour illustration of Maltese roast potato wedges with onions, fennel seeds and parsley.

Patata l-Forn (Maltese Roast Potatoes)

Maltese oven-roasted potatoes with onion, garlic, stock, fennel seed, and olive oil. Golden on top, tender underneath, and full of Sunday lunch flavour.

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Cook by tradition

Watercolour illustration of Maltese rabbit stew with potatoes, carrots, peas and tomato sauce.

30 traditional Maltese dishes

Discover 30 traditional Maltese dishes, from Bigilla and pastizzi to rabbit stew, lampuki pie, and almond sweets, grouped to help you plan a meal.

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Maltese baking and pastry

Explore Maltese bread, ricotta and pea pastizzi, qassatat, savoury pies, and sweet pastries, with guidance on choosing your next baking project.

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Watercolour illustration of golden macaroni pie with a cut wedge showing pasta and beef sauce.

Maltese Sunday lunch

Plan a Maltese Sunday lunch with Brodu, Ross il-Forn, Timpana, rabbit stew, Bragioli, and roast potatoes, grouped into starters, mains, and sides.

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Maltese fish and seafood

Cook Maltese fish and seafood with recipes for Aljotta, fried lampuki, lampuki pie, octopus stew, stuffed calamari, grilled swordfish, and tuna.

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Watercolour illustration of domed Maltese Carnival cake with meringue, pine nuts, cherries and chocolate.

Maltese festa and celebration food

Explore Maltese food for gatherings and the festive calendar, from pastizzi and Imqaret to Carnival Prinjolata, Easter Figolli, and Christmas sweets.

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Watercolour illustration of crisp cannoli tubes filled with ricotta, chocolate and candied citrus.

Maltese desserts and sweets

Choose a Maltese sweet by filling, technique, and occasion: almond biscuits, date pastries, ricotta kannoli, bread pudding, and seasonal celebration cakes.

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Watercolour illustration of Maltese chocolate biscuit Christmas log with nuts and candied fruit.

Maltese Christmas food

Plan a Maltese-inspired Christmas table with treacle rings, mince pies, fruit cake, a no-bake chocolate log, and suggested soups, mains, and sides.

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Watercolour illustration of decorated Maltese Easter almond pastries topped with chocolate eggs.

Maltese Easter food

Choose Maltese recipes for the spring calendar: Kwareżimal in Lent, St Joseph's Żeppoli, Easter Figolli, and suggested dishes for a shared lunch.

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Watercolour illustration of golden boat-shaped pastizzi filled with savoury white ricotta.

Maltese street food

Explore Malta's snack foods and make them at home: flaky pastizzi, open-topped qassatat, bread with tomato and tuna, Gozitan ftira, and date pastries.

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Watercolour illustration of broad bean and pasta-bead soup with a fresh cheeselet and poached egg.

Maltese soups

Choose among Maltese soup recipes for fish, beef broth, broad beans and pasta, vegetables, cheeselets, pork, and cabbage.

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Watercolour illustration of dark chocolate-coated hazelnut baci with a cut piece showing biscuit and nut filling.

Advent recipes and Christmas preparation

Plan food for Advent visits and the weeks before Christmas: roasted chestnuts, homemade baci, warming drinks, and festive bakes to prepare ahead.

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Watercolour illustration of white-iced Maltese bone-shaped pastries with a cut piece showing almond filling.

Autumn and November food

Bake St Martin sweet buns and fruit-and-nut cake for November, almond bones for All Souls, and pumpkin pie or warm soups for an autumn gathering.

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Maltese food explained: Understand Maltese food through its breads, soups, pastry, seafood, and sweets, with dish names explained and recipes for your first meal.

Maltese ingredients and substitutions: Cook Maltese recipes in Australia, the UK, Canada, or the US with familiar ingredient names, practical substitutions, and clear measurement guidance.

Maltese food glossary: Understand Maltese recipe names with an English glossary of ingredients and cooking words, including tewm, mimli, ġbejna, lampuki, and il-forn.

Ġbejniet and Maltese cheese: Choose fresh, dried, or peppered ġbejniet for Maltese cooking. Learn the cheese names, serving ideas, recipe uses, and practical substitutions abroad.

Maltese rabbit guide: Compare Maltese rabbit stew and fried rabbit, understand the fenkata meal, and choose a recipe with serving and preparation guidance.

Pastizzi guide: What are pastizzi? Compare Maltese ricotta and pea pastizzi, understand the flaky pastry, and choose a recipe with shaping and reheating advice.

Qassatat guide: What are qassatat? Compare Maltese ricotta, pea, and anchovy pastries, learn how they differ from pastizzi, and choose a recipe with shaping advice.

Ftira bread and sandwiches: Maltese ftira is a crusty, flattened bread you can fill for lunch. Choose a sandwich or a potato-topped Gozitan bake, then make it your own.

San Martin in Malta: Discover Malta's November feast of St Martin, the story of the shared cloak, Baħrija's celebrations, and the nuts, figs and sweet buns in the borża.

Borża ta' San Martin: Put together a Maltese St Martin's bag with nuts, dried figs, seasonal fruit and a sweet bun for the November feast.

Pastizzi in Malta: Stop at Is-Serkin in Rabat for hot ricotta and pea pastizzi, tea or coffee in a glass, and a very Maltese pause after Mdina or Rabat.

Christmas in Gozo: A family evening at Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem, with live actors, Imbuljuta, Qagħaq tal-Għasel, Imqaret, and practical notes for visiting Gozo.

Malta's Illuminated Trail: A relaxed family evening among the illuminated figures at Verdala Palace, with mulled wine, spiced lattes, food stalls, and an easy walking route.

Food history & seasonal guides

Maltese Food Traditions During Lent and Easter

Explore Malta's spring food calendar, from Lenten Kwareżimal and St Joseph's pastries to Easter Figolli, with sources and recipes to cook.

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