Malta’s 7,000 years of constant interaction with various nations and religions left an indelible mark on the island’s culinary identity. The result is a culinary fusion or what food historian and educator Noel Buttigieg likes to call “a feast of sight, smells and tastes”.

“Our country’s chequered past is well reflected in its culinary culture,” he told the Times of Malta.

A water container used for cleaning one’s hands during meals.

“For the past six centuries, Malta depended on significant amounts of food imports, a reality which persists to this day. In fact, the sea did not isolate but rather linked Malta to other Mediterranean countries, especially to southern European countries. To this effect, Malta enjoys a panoply of culinary influences that the locals borrowed and adapted to meet the needs and tastes of the Maltese.”

Since recipes were also amended along the years depending on the availability of ingredients, it is difficult to date what we nowadays call “typical Maltese dishes”.

However, like what is happening in many countries in the era of globalisation, it seems there is an increased interest in our culinary past.

“We feel that while we want to enjoy any available choice, we still would like to define our unique identity,” Dr Buttigieg noted.

He referred to poet T.S. Elliot who suggested that tradition cannot be possessed but needs to be reinvented and rediscovered by each generation.

“This helps us frame our current understanding when members of the community start to feel nostalgic about the past,” he said.

“Foods that were considered as drab and frugal have now been elevated to a glorified status. For example, all the efforts by several generations to liberate themselves from eating wholemeal bread for white bread are today reinventing the past with new understanding and new meanings.”

It is within this context that Dr Buttigieg is delivering a series of lectures titled Traditional Foodways: An Appetite for the Past at Palazzo Falson, in Mdina, in the coming weeks.

An earthenware container called baqra was used to cook rabbit stew.

The first lecture, which will be held today, will tackle harvesting and the preservation of food before canning and refrigeration were introduced.

“Humans managed to develop a variety of methods to extend the shelf life of several foods and minimise food waste in old times. Salting, drying and fermenting will be among the process explored,” said the historian.

A jelly mould

“In some cases, some light will be shed on skills that we are increasingly losing, such as the preservation of onions or capers.”

Next week’s lecture will explore problems related to weights and measures. Using evidence from Maltese archives, the audience will learn about some of the food fraud- related issues in early modern Malta.

“Since most households did not have the equipment to weigh food at home, the authorities had to regularly check and officiate any weights and measures to ensure consumer protection,” pointed out Dr Buttigieg.

The third lecture, on February 21, will discuss preparation practices by taking a close look at the impressive display of copper pots and pans and other artefacts found in Palazzo Falson’s refectory, kitchen and dining room.

These utensils are, however, not just historically important for their cooking properties.

“Palazzo Falson holds a beautiful collection of cooking and dining equipment that reflects how humans use food as a ‘voice’, a means to silently locate their position in society,” remarked Dr Buttigieg.

“We often tend to forget that particular equipment is required to prepare specific foods. Thus, having the equipment to do so is in itself a reflection of socioeconomic hierarchy. Even the exhibition of such objects on the kitchen shelf is enough to inform your guests about your social profile.”

Among some of the most particular utensils on display at the medieval house are an earthenware container called baqra, which was used to cook rabbit stew, and jelly moulds with the Maltese cross.

A terracotta representation of a Maltese banquet commissioned by Capt. Olof Frederick Gollcher (1889-1962), the former owner of the historic house.

The dining room presents a fine dining experience with its rare glassware and silverware. The lecture will give special attention to the nef, an elaborate table decoration in the shape of a ship, and the “civilising process of the table”, in other words, table manners.

The final lecture, on February 28, will deal with stories of curious objects revolving around culinary consumption, which Dr Buttigieg is keeping under wraps.

“Best we keep the secret. All I can say is that the four sessions will bring to light aspects of Malta’s culinary past. This is an invite for all to rediscover our culinary past so as to celebrate the present,” he said.

The talks at Palazzo Falson will be held today and on February 12, 21 and 28, between 6.30 and 8.30pm. One may attend all the lectures or individual sessions. Booking is required on bookings@palazzofalson.com.

The fireplace and oven are covered with Maiolica tiles.

One of the lectures will deal with weights and measures.