Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/717204
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 AUGUST 2016 15 Interview The Maltese restaurant scene has evolved beyond recognition in the last 30 years. But for established local chefs such as MICHAEL DIACONO, the challenge is as much about rediscovering Malta's own traditional cuisine the menu SUSTAINABILITY years under British rule. That af- fected things a lot…" The British effect has been more or less ubiquitous in our food culture. Not only has it lim- ited the fare on offer, but even the finer details of restaurant ser- vice have clearly been influenced. In a Maltese restaurant (whatev- er the theme), bread is tradition- ally served with butter… though more restaurants today are re- verting to the more local practice of providing olive oil instead. "I know of one story, but I can't vouch for how true it is. 'Ru- cola', or 'rocket' – what we call 'insalata' in Maltese – used to be widely eaten as a salad here… but the British never developed a taste for it, and it was phased off the menu. Today, it has a made a comeback; and as we all know, Maltese rocket is stunningly good…" In other cases, dishes changed upon importation to Malta ac- cording to the availability of in- gredients, or simply differences in the local palate. "Take 'ross fil-forn' [baked rice], for instance... unfortu- nately it became a habit to make it with corned beef. We don't do that anymore – we threw tinned meat out of the window a long time ago – but people still use these ingredients in home cook- ing. It's a throwback to the war." All the same, there is something to be said for good old-fashioned food the way our nannas used to make it. Some people prefer their baked rice with corned beef… just like a certain 'friend' of mine (no names mentioned) is still partial to the occasional bowl of Maltova with Bovril, especially in winter… "Yes: I call it 'comfort food'. I confess that I, too, occasionally eat things like 'pastina', because the taste brings back a certain nostalgia for the old days." So can we expect 'Maltova with Bovril' on Giuseppi's menu? You never know, it might be a hit… "No," he answers with a smile. "Not at all. But we do experiment in that sense. Either we will try and find the origin of a dish, or upgrade it to something more contemporary…" Lastly, one advantage of hav- ing a rather recent (and mostly imported) culinary culture is that no one can claim to possess the 'definitive recipe' of any particu- lar Maltese speciality. "No, I don't think anyone can. And many staple dishes have changed over the years. Bra- gioli, for instance… most people would say a bragiola is a strip of meat filled with bread, bacon and hard-boiled eggs. For many peo- ple, however, the filling has now evolved into minced meat. Per- sonally I try as a rule to go back to the older, more traditional recipes. But it's not the only way to do things..." It's impossible to be 100% sustainable in everything, but the concept is coming in. We do try and use different ingredients that are sustainable… especially with regard to fish