For the perfect cup of coffee you need coffee beans, a coffee pot made of copper... and to know how to recite the Apostles’ Creed, according to a 17th century document found at the National Archives.

Coffee, it was recommended, should be drunk after the process of decantation, which takes as long as it takes to recite the prayer.

This will be one of the documents that food researcher Noel Buttigieg will be speaking about later this week in a public event at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa.

And while he shares information about Maltese recipes from the 1660s to the 1740s, chef Josef Baldacchino will be cooking chocolate and coffee biscuits as well as brewing up two drinks that Malta pioneered in Europe using these same ingredients.

“The sea did not isolate Malta, but rather, it connected the island to countries that exported products to Europe such as coffee from Africa, chocolate from the Americas and tea from Asia.

“Malta too exported a delicacy which has since gone extinct – a cheeselet called ħaxix ir-riħ made from sheep’s milk, wrapped in grass and preserved in white wine,” Dr Buttigieg said.

The event will be held on Thursday at 7.30. Tickets are available from http://shop.heritagemalta.org/index.asp?eventid=291 and more information can be obtained on 2166 3731.