Staple Foods
Bread: often served with a meal or before a meal with olive oil
Pasta: a base for many dishes in Malta, particularly the Italian inspired dishes
Pastry: often used to wrap other foods from vegetables to cheeses and meats
Regional Variations & Specialties
Aljotta: fish soup cooked with garlic, tomatoes and rice
Bragioli: bacon, garlic, egg, and breadcrumbs wrapped in sliced beef and slow cooked in wine
Pastizzi: snack of cheese and egg or peas cooked in a pastry
Rabbit Stew: red wine-marinated rabbit with garlic, onions, carrots, and tomatoes
Dining Etiquette
Octopus
After falling under English rule for a number of years, dining etiquette in Malta is very similar to eating in the United Kingdom. Conservative dress and punctuality are valued and if you get invited to a local's house, be sure to bring a small gift.
Once you're actually seated be sure to follow continental dining style (knife in the right hand, fork in the left), place your napkin on your lap, and maintain good posture throughout the meal. Be warned though, that there will most likely be numerous dining courses and you are expected to eat from each course so don't eat too quickly and try to pace yourself with those around you so you don't overeat before the later courses arrive. Generally, the meal begins with bread, followed by appetizers, pasta, and meat or fish. Many times a soup will start the meal and a dessert will finish it as well.
If no service charge is added to your bill at a restaurant, a tip of about 10% is appropriate.