5 Christmas Treats You Definitely Need to Try in Malta

It doesn’t matter if you’re Maltese, English, Australian, American, Chinese, or from anywhere else in the world. The language of sweets and desserts is one that we all understand! There’s something special about travelling to a new country and finding out (and tasting first hand, of course) which sweets are made there. The same is true (perhaps even truer) when those treats are brought out during Christmas time!

As we all know, Christmas is just another excuse to indulge in some sugary goods. There are plenty of different treats that we associate with Malta during this time of year, although not all of them are exclusively Christmassy – which is great news in itself because it means you won’t have to wait for months on end to get your hands on some of our most coveted goods.

If you happen to be in Malta during the Christmas season, here are some treats to look out for!

Qagħaq tal-Għasel

Credit: http://www.excelsior.com.mt

Known in English as treacle rings, this dessert is so scrumptious that you might consider proposing to your wife by putting one of these rings on her finger instead the usual gold or diamond option.

These special qagħaq are a great choice for those who don’t like their desserts to be saturated with sweetness. Though there is certainly an underlying sweet taste, it’s wonderfully balanced out by the slight bitterness of the treacle and the zesty flavour of the citrus infused into the baking mix.

Almond Macaroons

If you knew anything about Maltese desserts prior to this article, you’d probably know that it’s very hard for us to keep lewż (almonds) out of our sweet treats. This is especially the case in Easter, where our treats tend to be made up of 95% almonds and almond paste (see: figolli and kwareżimal).

Thanks to our Lewż before Bros mentality, you can still get your almond fix this Christmas thanks to the macaroons that pop up everywhere. Not necessarily an exclusively Maltese treat by any stretch of the imagination – but don’t tell us you’re not grateful that we love them so much.

Pudina tal-Ħobż

Credit: www.tisjir.com

This is our famous bread pudding, a classic choice for everyone from nanniet (grandmothers) to children. If you’re not a fan of raisins and candied fruit, this might take some getting used to, but we’re pretty sure that come to appreciate the taste sooner rather than later!

This is definitely one of the treats that is appreciated all year round – but Christmas is as good a time as any to make a fresh batch! Do note that it’s not the typical Christmas pudding that’s eaten around the world (including Malta!), and not a replacement either!

Imbuljuta tal-Qastan

Credit: www.acelineentertainment.com

We already spoke quite a bit about this one in a previous blog post, and even included a recipe for it, so head on there if you’re interested in making it! This is a soup/drink hybrid made out of chestnuts, cocoa and chocolate, a well an assortment of other ingredients that contribute to its unique taste.

Christmas Log

It’s not quite Christmas without a Christmas log, and that’s regardless of where you are in the world. So no, this isn’t quite a Maltese treat, but of course we have the Maltese way of preparing it, which isn’t too outlandish. We keep the same chocolatey/biscuit taste, but often tend to add the candied fruit we seem to collectively love so much!