Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1369939
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 MAY 2021 20 COMMERCIAL International recognition for our traditional ftira WHAT says Argentina more than Tango or India more than Yoga? In the context of practic- es and traditions, formally clas- sified by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in its 2003 Convention, then the answer to that question is quite simple – nothing. Up to 2020, the Convention had included 549 items from 127 different countries, includ- ing Yoga from India, Tango from Argentina, the art of Per- sian carpet-weaving from Iran and the Brasilian Samba de Ro- da. In December 2020, 35 oth- er items coming from another four countries were added, and our Ftira was listed together with, among others, the Finn- ish Sauna and Couscous from North Africa. A great achievement indeed for this modest, yet delicious, fare. We are all familiar with this typical flat, ring-shaped, charred bun, which offers such versatility for its use. From the summertime ftira biż-że- jt, to triangular wedges cut for scooping out portions of home-made dips, to a buttered perżut tal-għadma and ġbejniet filling, the ftira lends itself per- fectly. What is perhaps less fa- miliar is the origins and devel- opments that led to the status and household name that the ftira enjoys today. The skill of making it today finds its origin in true Mal- tese stone-oven baking tra- dition. First historical refer- ences are as the schiacciata or xawwata, with the former Ital- ian term meaning 'squashed', while the latter Maltese means 'something to be charred or scorched'. Back then, there was no way of telling the tem- perature of the ovens. Long experience had taught Mal- tese bakers the simple way of gauging whether the oven had reached optimal bread-baking temperature using the dough itself. They would take small handfuls of the dough waiting to be baked into ħobż tal-Mal- ti. These would be flattened to maintain the same surface ar- ea, both on the underside and on the top, as a ħobża. In this way, the baker would gauge the temperature, and these small specimens would also absorb the first blast of hot air in the oven, helping to stabilise the temperature. The charred dough would not be thrown away, obviously. Such a wanton squandering of food would be tantamount to a sin. Over the years, the practice of snack- ing on these flat byproducts of ħobża-making spread beyond the walls of bakeries, and es- tablished itself firmly as yet another Maltese loaf, a close family relative of the ħobża tal-Malti, more ideally suited as a carry-out snack due to its easier portability and size. The ring-shape, resulting from the hole in the centre, further in- creased the surface-area of its elastic outer layer, and hence its character. And this holed loaf made its way, after centuries of tradi- tional use, to a listing on the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangi- ble Cultural Heritage, carrying with it the name of our coun- try. Far too often, unfortunate- ly, we tend to take our own products for granted, and think that foreign fare enjoys a high- er level of prestige than what we have to offer. In the case of the ftira, this has not been the case, as dedicated Mal- tese individuals have worked hard to achieve this success. The story of the ftira does not stop there however, since this baked treat has been developed further. The Nenu the Artisan Baker restaurants have come up with new and exciting uses, and are now offering it at the heart of a number of delicious options, perfectly combining tradition with innovation. The mouth-watering toppings, to- gether with the fresh crunchi- ness of the ftira base make for a scrumptious meal that is sec- ond to none in taste, with the added plus of being potentially sampled by those sitting at the same table who ordered differ- ent toppings. The trailblazing success of the ftira at UNESCO will lead the way for other Maltese tra- ditions to find their place with this international representa- tion of humanity. Leading the way among the list of files being treated for the 2021 cycle that are to be examined by the Committee at its sixteenth session in No- vember/December 2021, we find the Maltese submission of L-Għana, our folksong tra- dition. We look forward to celebrating our second listing, listening to some għana, while munching on a ftira, and toast- ing to their success with a nice glass of local vintage. Attard council donates sanitisation kits to CareMalta elderly home ATTARD mayor Stefan Cordi- na (first from left) presenting a sanitisation kit, one of 300 kind- ly donated to Roseville, a Care- Malta elderly home in Attard, as part of an initiative by the local council, representing the Cen- tral Region. The kits consist of a packet of disposable masks, a hand sanitiser and two packets of santising wet wipes. Roseville's management team, who re- ceived these kits on behalf of the home, thanked Mr Cordina for the council's lovely gesture.