Goodies from Gozo

Abstract

People resident on islands have, as a result of their isolation, always tended to develop a degree of self-sufficiency and to make hay while the sun shines. This is especially true vis-a-vis the provision of food. They have learnt to preserve food for the lean winter months and to do it in a way that it retains its palatable appearance, flavour and texture, as well as its original nutritional value. And they passed this savoir-faire from one generation to the next. These home-made foods rarely found themselves in shops. The arrival of foreigners keen on local delicacies has however led to a considerable demand of these home-made products in the past years. Just off It-Tokk, the main square in the heart of the town of Rabat, Gozo, there is a small shop that excels in these delicacies. Now and then they also succeed in making an appearance on some supermarket shelves. [excerpt]