Practically every country, as well as Malta, considers game food as a delicacy and the consumption of game has always formed part of the Maltese rural diet. However, and even though thousands of cookbooks have been written about the local cuisine, with some of them containing a few game recipes, there is still no specialist Maltese game cookbook, yet!
Therefore, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) has now published the specialized unique cookbook “GAME RECIPES FROM MALTA” in collaboration with local professional renowned chefs, as well as a memento of FKNK’s 50th anniversary (which was celebrated on the 17 September 2023). This is the first cookbook ever published locally that is entirely dedicated to the cooking of game on the Maltese islands.
Dr. Noel Buttigieg, Senior Lecturer, Researcher & Coordinator at the Institute for Tourism, Travel & Culture of the University of Malta authored the Forward for “GAME RECIPES FROM MALTA”. The Preface that follows briefly outlines the history and culture of Maltese game-cooking, and the Editors, Lino Farrugia, FKNK CEO and Lucas Micallef, FKNK President proceed with a couple of “unwritten recipes” which they picked from the several healthy seasonal unwritten recipes that would have been lost and forgotten were it not for handing-down of these recipes, orally, through demonstration and observation, by the elders of the hunting families to their children and respective families. 12 celebrated local Chefs then present two exquisite game-dishes each.
“GAME RECIPES FROM MALTA”, which is highly illustrated, is published in paperback format with the inside pages printed on matte-coated art-paper and the outside covers on silk-coated artboard. Since the FKNK also means to promote the book in various other countries besides Malta, it is written in English. The main sponsors of the cookbook are the Honourable Minister for Gozo and Planning, Clint Camilleri, and the Honourable Alex Agius Saliba MEP. The FKNK would thus like to express their gratitude to these sponsors without whose valuable contribution the publication would not have been possible.
“GAME RECIPES FROM MALTA” will be launched from the FKNK Stand during the Malta AgriFair 2024 (https://agrifair.gov.mt/) which will be held at the MFCC Fair Grounds in Ta’ Qali on the 12, 13 and 14 April 2024. The cookbook can be bought from the FKNK Stand at the special reduced price of €20 during the Fair. On the Stand the FKNK will also exhibit samples of the Merlot wine bottles which will display a FKNK label depicting a local game-bird, and the first samples will portray Malta’s chief game-bird, the Turtle Dove. This wine will be officially launched later on this year. Visitors to the FKNK Stand will also be offered game-tasting finger-food which will be prepared on-site by one of the renowned cookbook-participant Chefs.