Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1070939
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT Tits are a big family of birds that are very familiar on mainland Europe but we virtually never see them here – such a pity, as they are the basis of many garden bird communities. The rea- son we don't get them is lack of suitable habitat (these are largely woodland birds) plus most of them don't migrate much. One tit that does migrate is the penduline tit (M. pendulin), for which reason it does occasionally turn up. Tits are small and active, and the penduline is no exception. Penduline tits have this neat black mask over the eyes that makes them look a bit like bandits ready for mischief. They are accomplished nest-builders, weaving this complicated hanging basket at the tip of thin willow branches. Sadly we never get to see these architectural marvels because pendulines don't nest in Malta – the swampy areas and river edges they like are another habitat we lack. Pendulines are very scarce visitors to Malta and they are not even seen every year, but there were two at Is-Simar last week. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 547: Find out more at www.foemalta.org/goodfood Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti 547 - GOOD FOOD 643. PENDULINE TIT Is the ftira a marker of identity? Dates for the Beland Music Fes- tival 2019 are now revealed. This local established music event is now entering in its eighth edi- tion. Between Friday 3rd and Sunday 5th May this year, Zejtun will host again a number of local artists for this festival, including several promising and upcom- ing bands, artists and musicians who opt to apply through the 'Beland Music Contest' which is to be announced soon. As every year, a full program of events for all audiences is being well pre- pared along with all the logisti- cal aspects. The Beland Music Festival is held again with the support and collaboration of the Arts Council Malta. More news on www.belandevents.com. THE Maltese ftira is undoubtedly the most popu- lar local bread-based product. It can serve both as a full meal or as a light snack, and it could be filled with virtually anything to one's liking. The mouth- watering ftira may be considered ordinary, how- ever this artisanal bread product remains among the very few which necessitates manual prepara- tion. On Thursday, 24th January, Heritage Malta is inviting the general public to attend to a discussion by food historian Dr Noel Buttigieg about the his- torical, artisanal and culinary qualities of the ftira, to the extent that it is being proposed for inclusion in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. For centuries, bread has been an integral part of Malta's food patterns. Not only was it essential in our diet, but it is intrinsically ingrained in historical consciousness and culture. Bread has strengthened historical political ties, was key in securing social control and has occasionally generated unrest, has been a social marker distinguishing classes, and has penetrated in our language with numerous idioms and metaphors describing various life situations. The ftira falls perfectly in this scenario. Its distinguishable flat shape has baptised it as ftira, from the verb fattar - meaning to flatten (the dough), as described by the linguist Giovanni Francesco Agius de Soldanis in his Damma - a 1766 dictionary, or the Italian equivalent schiacciata, as referred to when being prepared in the Order's bak- ery in 1742. This points towards the artisan nature of ftira, which still remains at the centre of its pro- duction. The lecture will be delivered in English at 19.00hrs at the Inquisitor's Palace and National Museum of Ethnography in Birgu. Attendance is free of charge. For reservations and more information please call 2182 7006 or visit Heritage Malta's website www.heritagemalta.org Beland music festival dates announced