ABOUT A Maltese Mouthful and ME
It all began for me in a small town called Agnes Banks on a vegetable farm. A town part of the Hawkesbury in Western Sydney, Australia. My family are Maltese and they love to cook Maltese food, as well as produce amazing produce. My dad came to Sydney from a small village in Malta, Bidnija in the 70’s. My mum’s parents (Nanna and Nannu) came to Sydney from another nearby village in Malta, Mgarr in the 50’s.
The farm provided an abundance of fruit, meat and vegetables which we used in most of our meals. This is where I learnt about Maltese cooking. I didn’t cook much during this time but I watched, learned and of course ate. Two and a half decades later I left Sydney for London. 2005 was when I left behind my family, friends and part of my culture. In the last few years I have gone back, not back to Australia but back to my culture through its food and history.
My family in Malta and Australia still farm fruit, vegetables and animals today. Their invaluable understanding of how they produce their food has enabled them to understand how to best use their produce to create beautiful meals in their ‘Maltese’ farmhouse kitchens which have been shared among their family and friends. I have now produced my little farmhouse kitchen in London sharing and cooking Maltese meals among many others with my family and friends. My small Maltese inspired vegetable and fruit garden is also on the cards!
During all this time I studied, worked, travelled the world, married an Irish man from Dublin (In Malta), had two beautiful girls, Theodora and Aurelia, and have now settled in SW London. How lucky I am.
My finance and accounting undergraduate degree enabled me to work in Sydney and eventually London. In London I then continued my studies in Yorkshire completing a Masters in Environmental Economics. I wanted to combine my interests with the beautiful world we live in.
During this time I also travelled far flung amazing countries including India, Ethiopia, Syria, Tunisia, all throughout Central Asia, China, other South East Asian countries, Pakistan and South America. I always made time for my cultural roots by visiting Malta regularly. What has always fascinated me is the different produce we eat, how we eat it and how our history has had an impact on this. Malta’s food culture has definitely been influenced and impacted by our historical events. What an amazing food tapestry this has created.
I visit Malta yearly. I love spending time with my family in their farming villages, other villages in Malta and I love exploring our history. I am always fascinated by this beautiful Island and the food culture our families have passed on. Their love of food and produce still continues today.
The world is such a small place now and we are all integrating at a rapid pace. My family is Irish, Maltese, Australian and now British. For now, I want to bring the Maltese part of my culture into my family through food and share this with you.
A Maltese Mouthful is all about cooking, eating and sharing Maltese food, from my kitchen. Theodora and Aurelia will hopefully thank me for it one day. For now they are doing what I once did – watching, learning and eating.
I hope you enjoy trying Maltese cooking if you haven’t already, or this blog encourages you to cook more Maltese recipes if you do anyhow. Perhaps it will encourage you to explore your own food culture more. What an amazing food history around the world we have.
I would love to hear from you.
Marlene Zammit