Maltese Versions Of Famous American Dishes We Need To See ASAP

As a nation we’re extremely proud of the cultural heritage that surrounds our food, and we’re not always happy with ‘bastardisations’ of classic meals. But we have six options for your consideration that will be worth compromising our morals for.

1. Mqarrun and cheese

Inspiration: Mac and cheese

Imagine all the goodness of a baked mqarrun il-forn, with a shitload of cheese. Honestly anyone arguing against it is just wrong (unless it’s about health in which case: sure, but also mqarrun isn’t exactly a diet essential).

2. Maltese sausage corn dogs

Inspiration: Baseball corn dogs

A deep fried version of the sausage roll, with all the goodness and flavour of a Maltese sausage? Yes. Please.

3. Octopus chowder

Inspiration: Clam chowder

For those new to the idea of chowder, it’s essentially a stew or broth made with milk instead of just water that goes really well with sea food. So forget the regular stuffat recipes and try something a little creamier.

4. Sloppy Ġorġ

Inspiration: Sloppy Joe

A Sloppy Joe is essentially just bolognese sauce inside a sandwich – now imagine that instead of some soggy old bread, you had it served in a fresh ftira or a ħobża. 

5. Rabbit tacos

Inspiration: Chilli con carne and Mexican food

Just when you thought beef tacos were everything, think of how much more exciting they could get with the simple addition of Malta’s traditional rabbit meat. Add in some rabbit liver for an extra kick and we’re sorted.

BONUS: Pumpkin pie

Inspiration: Pumpkin pie

Why change something that just works. In Malta we have a lot of uses for qara ħamra but we’ve never seen it used in desserts. So maybe it’s time for us to borrow from the Americans when it comes to this one single dish inspiration.

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