This Mosta Gourmet Store Is A Wonderland For Foodies And Chefs
Hidden in a quiet street in Mosta, Dical House has been a playground for chefs and foodies for over a decade and a half.
Beloved by foodies and food writers all over – including the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, who often visited and praised the place in her culinary writing on TASTE magazine, which featured a number of Dical House suppliers including Tartuflanghe and Barbero Torroneria in Piemonte, and Sant Agata D’oneglia in Liguria – Dical House has the type of products you only see on Netflix foodie specials.
From the finest extra virgin olive oil produced by or for renowned top chefs such as Massimo Bottura and Alain Ducasse, caviar spheres to special dieteray food to space food – literally food eaten by astronauts – Dical House is like no other shop in Malta.
1. Let’s start with the massive truffles
Just look at these white and black Autumn and Winter truffles from the Alba region. Alba is THE place for truffles. The world’s best and most expensive truffles are those found in Alba and its surrounding towns such as the Roero Hills. The Alba truffle is above all the rest in fragrance and taste, and the white truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico) is sold in the world famous truffle auction held in the Grinzano Castle in the Langhe region of Piemonte close to Alba, where prices for the extra special truffles can reach stratospherical heights. Truffles are a highly sought after delicacy, one which man has yet to learn how to cultivate, and for this reason the price fluctuates tremendously according to demand and supply.
2. And then turn to their incredible bread selection
Are you looking for a high-protein, low-carb bread? Their carrot bread and almond bread will do the trick.
Are you looking for gluten-free bread? Their selection of gluten-free breads will sort you out for life.
Are you looking for some good ol’ fashioned tasty bread? Grab a foccaccia and pop it into the toaster. Throw some truffle cheese on top and you’re golden.
3. These olive oil spheres with truffle essence resemble caviar and will raise your plating game by 1,000%
Throw these on a salad and enjoy everyone’s curious and impressed faces. Adria from El Bulli fame is the creator of these semi liquid jewels.
4. And their actual virgin olive oil selection is insane
When you have oils made by Massimo Bottura, your food just becomes instantly better. Massimo Bottura is currently voted as No. 1 Michelin Chef worldwide. Other oils and balsamics are used by top chefs in top eateries worldwide including Ducasse in France.
5. As are their wines and other alcoholic drinks
Dical House choose very particular areas to source their wine from, choosing only the best for their customers. Most of their wine collection is a unique Maltese buy, but may be found in some of Malta’s best restaurants and wine bars. Dical House represents Boutari, the largest winery in Greece, some exquisite and rare french wines from the Bourgogne region, and the Italian winery, Marrone, which won the 2017 Vinitaly award for best wine of Italy with their mind blowing Barolo Bussia.
They offer dairy-free creme liqueurs, just in case you want to make some fancy cocktails and want to play it safe. This is the in-house favourite as it was a very long process to obtain this unique and tasty drink.
6. But you can forget all of that and just grab some Space Food
Have you ever tried freeze-dried mozzarella that was made to be eaten by astronauts in space? Now’s your chance.
Freeze-dried mozzarella. The texture is like a hard meringue, with a surprisingly milky flavour
Dical source their freeze-dried foods from a particular producer in Italy that also specialises in space food. Expect everything from freeze-dried from rose petals to blue cheese, and from freeze-dried raspberries to freeze-dried black olive pit.
Yes, the actual pit.
They also have natural food colourings including the colour blue which is virtually unique.
7. They have a couple of international factories sorting their name-brand items out
Dical house is a big believer in regionality. Every country has its own specialisation so whilst Italy remains the main country for food excellence, delicacies exist from all over the world.
That’s why they have a factory in the UK blending unique chutneys, jams, marmalades, and mustard – like a champagne mustard with honey – and a factory in Italy making oil-based preserves exclusively for the company.
8. As well as some very cool speciality items, like jerky
Have you ever tried Speyside Scottish salmon jerky? Neither had I prior to last week, but it’s the exact kind of special treat that instantly transports one to the Scottish highlands.
And their beef jerky comes in multiple flavours – from original to honey BBQ to jalapeno to chilli and lime. Great as a quick high protein low fat snack, the jerky can also be combined with various other recipes from salads to pizza.
9. And it’s not just international brands – their Maltese fare is a reminder of the quality found in the islands
If cheese really is your thing, then you have to check out their foreign artisan cheeses. But it doesn’t stop there. From Maltese cheeses – and we are not saying things like ?bejna, but hard cheeses like Pecorino, made in Malta – to Maltese carob syrup, to what could be Malta’s highest quality loose leaf brand Tettiera, you can support local companies while indulging in some of the best products made on the islands.
10. They’ve got some very impressive household items that will change the way you cook, eat, live and love
You’ve heard of the benefits of Himalayan salts, so why not get a Himalayan salt lamp as a centrepiece in your kitchen? It looks great, and will add some serious Feng Shui to the room.
Or how about going full viking, and getting your hands on these insane Swedish heating/cooling stones. Heat them up and roll out the next meal to your guests on the sizzling plate, or cool them down and use them as ice cubes in a fine whisky.
And do you have young children in the house? Dical House’s ‘unbreakable’ plates may be the answers to your woes.
You won’t be breaking this plate anytime soon
11. And if you are looking for an unforgettable Christmas hamper, Dical House have got your back
Seriously, this has to be one of the best places in Malta to get your Christmas hamper. Boasting the widest selection imaginabale of the finer things in life and wide options for every item ensure that any budget can be met.
The super-friendly Dical team will create 100% customised hampers that will be totally exclusive to you, fitting in some of the most incredible ingredients in Malta, ready to be gifted and showcase your superior taste in food.
Incredibly, this list still doesn’t do justice to the sheer range and array of healthy food and gastronomical delights hidden inside the walls of Dical House
Next time you want to try something a bit different, are looking for that final touch to a fantastic house, or just want to be in a hallowed place that truly has the utmost respect for food, look no further than Dical House.
Tag someone who needs to check this out ASAP!
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