Only in Gozo

It has been compared to Maldon sea salt, but this is the purely Gozitan version. And you don’t need to scrape these crystals up from the salt pans because they are available in a variety of pretty, simple and presentable packaging. Check out Organika in Pjazza San Ġorġ.

Gozo’s olive oil, carob honey and pomegranate liqueur should be finding their way into chocolate produced in Italy under the Ta’ Mena stamp.

“We admit, we cannot produce the chocolate here,” says owner Joseph Spiteri. But he’s happy to diversify and stick his genuine products into the heart of the Italian chocolate treats.

It’s so dense, you need strength to spread it, and if you open the jar and turn it upside down, it won’t fall out. This is the kunserva, tomato paste, from Gozo’s Ta’ Mena Estate in the limits of Xagħra, which also produces other typical Gozitan foods. The secret lies in the fact that it matures in the sun and does not involve any cooking – only some sugar and salt are added to the tomatoes. Moreover, once it is opened, you don’t need to refrigerate it, which is a good thing when considering that, back in the day, our forefathers did not have fridges and freezers and these recipes hark back to then. So far, the longest a jar has lasted is 33 years! Let’s hope this kunserva doesn’t outlive the marriage for which it was created as a souvenir! Could it be a good omen that the owner is convinced no one could possibly be “unfaithful” to his tomato paste?