Malta is a small island country situated in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, very close to Sicily. It constists of five islands, only three of which are inhabited. The islands have been home to a number of human groups and civilizations since paleolithic times, most of whom abandoned it or died off due to war or ecological collapse. Its current population descends from Sicilian colonists that only came in the XI th century.
The location of the islands have made them a prime prize for maritime civilizations looking for strategic advantage - they've been conquered at one time or another by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Sicilians, Aragonese, French and even the British. All of these influenced Maltese culture, genetics and, of course, their cuisine.
You can describe Maltese cuisine as being northern Mediterranean in nature. None of the flavors are unfamiliar, though they often appear in different combinations than in the continent - what you'd expect of what is ultimately a fusion cuisine. Seafood is common, though as it relies on the specific fish surrounding the islands, very different from those here in California, I didn't bother with them. The richness and variety of its cuisine is perhaps surprising given that the islands have a population of less than half a million people, but the constant influx of new immigrants and colonists does make for a fluid cuisine.
Most of the dishes I made had a definite Italian origin.
Related cuisines I've explored so far: Albanian,
Abruzzese, Algerian,
Andalusian, Balearic, Berber, Bosnian, Calabrian, Campanian, Caprese, Catalan, Cretan, Croatian, Corsican, Cypriot, Dalmatian, Egyptian, Emilian-Romagnan, French, Friulian, Gibraltarian,
Greek, Italian, Lazian, Lebanese, Libyan, Ligurian, Lucanian
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