Hundreds of people flocked to Rabat yesterday for one of the first feasts of the year, that of St Joseph, with many indulging in the traditional anchovy żeppoli.

The savoury snack, more commonly known as sfineġ, is made of fried bread dough and filled with anchovies or ricotta cheese.

While the sweeter option can be found in Sicily and other Mediterranean countries, the anchovy sfineġ  are traditionally Maltese.

Today the fritters are available in different localities all over the island in the run-up to yesterday’s public holiday, but back in the day, the anchovy sfineġ  were only available in Rabat where they first started being made some 50 years ago.

As many people would not eat meat during lent, most Catholic households in the locality would more commonly consume the fritters on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.