The Definitive Ranking Of Gabbana Food You’ll Find At Every Maltese Festa
Santa Marija week is welll upon us, and while it may be the chance for most of us to kick back and relax and recoup with our loved ones (possibly in Gozo), it’s also a great time to gorge on some of the best snacks the islands have to offer during times of celebration.
Feasts herald in a plethora of street foods we all know and love, and while most are available at village markets, it’s only during a festa that we really go out of our way to make sure we try them all.
Here’s our pick for the nine best festa foods you’d be crazy to miss out on, this week and for all time to come.
9. Popcorn
We put this crispy snack in last place only because the popcorn-pushers seem to favour sweet over salty and that just isn’t okay. Until the sugary sacrilege is abolished, it shall remain at the bottom of the pyramid.
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8. Imqaret
We’ve all had a crispy sheet of fried date cakes. Equal parts classic, equal parts move, where are the doughnuts.
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7. Kannoli
A staple at any sweet food stall, kannoli are the quintessential taste of our Italian influence and also just pure bliss for your mouth.
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6. Candy Floss
The sugary, gone-in-an-instant (especially if your fingers are greasy from your hotdog) dragon beard fluffy stuff. The quintessential American festival treat. Wait, what? We’re at a Maltese festa?
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5. Hot Dogs
What’s not to love about a juicy sausage wedged between two pieces of bread, slathered with some sticky-sweet onions, American-style cheese and the occasional jalapeño or spoonful of beans?
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The fact that we rush up to these vans splattered with mustangs and American flags as if we’ve just spent three hours on a coach driving to our local state fair and need to restore our blood sugar levels with a greasy zalzett l’Amerikana is what.
Nothing says “Malta” more than food trucks piling up every street corner selling chicken wings, mozzarella sticks and everyone’s favourite: nuggets and chips.
4. Perlini
Another staple at any Maltese celebration, perlini are like the unicorns of festas. Elusive, colourful and an excuse to call someone out for having a mouthful of nuts.
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This is it, guys, we’re in the top-tier stage now.
It’s time to lay down our differences in opinion on the food trucks and focus on what really makes festa food so unique.
3. Kwareżimal
While this may be a Lenten treat, it still rears its head at the occasional feast around the island. And if that isn’t enough reason to check out the next festa near you, then shame on you for not having good taste.
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2. Qubbajt
Our favourite soft mallow stuffed with nuts and fruit falls short of first place but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stuff your face with every flavour available.
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Now, before we award the top spot we have to give a shoutout to some honourable mentions:
Mainly because these are definitely found at every feast and there is no escaping them (especially with nanna lurking behind and her bottomless coin purse).
- Biscotti – those biscuits you’ll usually get free with a coffee are delicious, but not worth the €2 you just handed over for a pack of 3.
- Mini doughnuts – not as good as a hot, jammy stuffer but covered in chocolate and still a not-so-guilty guilty pleasure
- Biskuttini tar–raħal – plain, simple, probably baked by someone’s nanna the night before. Priceless.
1. Doughnuts
Because who doesn’t love a sugar-coated, jam-filled, possibly ring-shaped, moist sponge of sweet, sweet, goodness?
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Malta’s got great doughnut game but nothing beats a definitive doughnut tal-Twanny’s.
BONUS: Karamelli tal-Ħarrub
Carob. Fucking. Caramel. Need we say more?
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