Community Cooking in Malta
Malta is one of those splendid island paradises that seem to ask one to engage in the poetry of the place, in order to find and maintain one’s bearings. It is a very small island, and has been inhabited since at least 4,000 b.c. There are a few cultural influences at work here, and the main contributors are Italy and Northern Africa. This makes for a place that’s a bit unlike anywhere else on the planet, but simultaneously has all the trappings of the perfect exotic hideaway. With plenty of luxury hotels, Malta can offer a splendid paradise for any traveler.
There is plenty here to recommend it, for those who are looking for a little old world charm, along with all the modern conveniences. It’s very much in touch with the fashions and the dances of the times, but there are also plenty of remnants to remind visitors that this is a place that has been fairly isolated at different points in its history. There’s also the simple fact that life on an island is very different than on the mainland. The sea plays a much larger part in the world view, and its presence is never far. There are ancient forces at work here, and old cultural traditions as well, and one of these is related to cooking.
In many areas, and among many families, houses don’t all have ovens inside. It is a practice that people will prepare the dishes for cooking, and then bring them all to a large communal wood-fired brick oven for the actual cooking. This is because of the obvious dangers of having an oven in traditionally close quarters, along with the unbearable heat it can produce in the hot summers here. It also has the effect of bringing people together. In the old days, as now, women would meet at the oven, making it a place where gossip and news can be discussed, and important decisions made regarding the community. At times, it’s a delight to watch the process by which things that seemed exotic simply make sense.
Tags: communal wood-fired brick oven, Cooking, plenty of luxury hotels Malta