Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527749
9 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2024 CULTURE bold in its flavour and texture. It adds to the dynamic of fla- vour of any dish and also gives a more aesthetically pleasing aspect to any plate you're hop- ing to offer to a table of friends. HOW ARE THE CHEESELETS MADE? The ingredients are simple and limited but the process of making ġbejniet is rather com- plex, hence why we met with ġbejniet maker George Attard, from the Tal-Kejken Farm in Gozo. He has been making his product for over 70 years and started in the kitchen with his mother when he was just 10 years old. To this day, he has never stopped. He wakes up every morning at no later than 5am to milk his sheep and goats. He makes ġbejniet every single day, to be picked up directly from his farm by local stores and fami- lies alike. George makes all types of ġbe- jniet including the hard, soft, herbed, peppered, goat's milk, sheep's milk and half and half, depending on the demand. The ingredients beyond the milk are only down to the pow- der that George mixes it with, as well as the approach. When peppered, vinegar is added. Otherwise, beyond the milk, powder and whatever herbs are added, the cheeselet may only contain salt as the final ingre- dient. If you're looking for soft cheese, it's served immediately and can be kept fresh in a re- frigerator for up to three days. If it's the hard cheese that you're after, it's created in the same way that the soft cheese is made but it is then placed outside in the sun, in special casings to keep insects away. George also dries out his ġbe- jniet with a fan. George has been doing this for so many years that the lo- cals (as well as everyone else) know exactly where to find him. As expected, he was as lovely as any of the other local farm- ers have been, as warm and in- viting as I could have asked for. And I hope that George, along with his son Joseph, continues making their supreme ġbejniet for a great many years to come. that has won the heart of a nation