But it’s 2020 and there are some pastizzi you might not recognise anymore…

From the mac n’cheese to the brisket pastizz, Lovin Eats dedicated a whole episode to unravelling some of the island’s most wonderful and bizarre pastizzi of the new decade… and to get to the bottom of what makes them so damn good.

Host Johnathan Cilia visited six renowned local establishments, some with a history as rich as the Maltese pastry itself, and tried six very different types of pastizzi.

And what we realised is that there’s so much more that goes into a pastizz than butter, peas and cheese today.

To give you a glimpse into what episode seven has on show, here’s a sneak peek into the six establishments and the pastizzi they had on offer.

1. Crystal Palace (Is-Serkin), Rabat

2. Choco Kebab Cafe, Buġibba

3. New York Best Bistro, Sliema

4. Roger’s Bakery, Żejtun

5. Caffe’ Cordina, Valletta

6. Ta’ Kelinu, Is-Suq Tal-Belt

From Elon Musk to Peppi Azzopardi, Malta really does like to experiment with its pastizzi game. The traditional pastry dish has had many modifications throughout its history, even going vegan and savoury in some pastizzerias.

Thankfully, we had Sphinx Pastizzeria owner Vinu Muscat join us for the episode and give his take on Malta’s first vegan pastizz. And given his proximity with the dish, we took his word for gospel.

Obviously none of this would’ve been possible without the help of our trusty friends over at Bolt who also come in clutch with an incredible driver to transport us to all four corners of the island.

With Malta’s most precious pastry out of the way, what lies next for Lovin Eats?

Three episodes are left in season two but we have so much more to cover. Tune in next to see what dish we unravel next.

Tag someone who loves pastizzi