Nutrition in a central Mediterranean island community : Malta in Medieval and early modern times

Abstract

Nutritional information for Medieval Malta does not exist but it is inferred from sporadic references to economic activities. The presence of large areas of karstic table-lands suitable mainly for rough grazing provide evidence that animal husbandry was an important activity. There are indications that milk, cheese and honey were produced in large quantities and consumed locally. We lack information on food items consumed by artisans and peasants in medieval times. But the scanty details that exist for the early modern period often refer to frugal meals heavily based on bread, oil and vegetables. The Roman Inquisition records for the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries provide revealing information on the culinary preparation of food based on the food prohibitions recorded during Lent time and other Catholic festivities. These records provide insights into the eating habits of the masses which had hardly changed from those of their medieval ancestors. This short study is an attempt to pinpoint the difficulties faced by a small island population which was heavily dependent for its grain, and other supplies, from nearby Sicily so that grain imports become the raison d'etre of the Universita (municipalities) of Malta and Gozo. This is confirmed by the existence of several old Maltese idioms which refer to bread as a basic commodity. Such idioms depict an inward looking system, strictly indicating that in Malta bread was a common denominator, consumed and well liked at all social levels.