There are, as many of us know, a number of junctures in which the development of local cuisine related to issues of identity. The most significant example is that of the Maltese stuffat tal-fenek, rabbit stew, which is often identified as the national dish. This particular dish is said to have started off as a symbolic form of resistance to the hunting restrictions imposed by the Knights of St John. The dish was then popularised when the restrictions were lifted in the late 18th century. By this time, the domestication of rabbits was frequent, the indigenous breed had multiplied and the prices dropped. The dish became rather popular after that.

With regards to pork, the popularity of the meat in various dishes, including the Maltese sausage, could be attributed to the fact that Malta was on the edge of the Christian world. Consuming pork, which is a taboo in the Muslim culinary culture, could have been a way of self-identification by distinguishing oneself from the other. In addition to pork dishes like stuffed flank or grilled pork cuts, the exclusive predominance of pork in indigenous Maltese sausages became common practice in the Maltese vernacular cuisine for centuries.

Now that we have covered the basics, we have penned a list of the ways in which we recommend you consume Maltese sausage today (and this weekend and possibly even the next) in order to celebrate our love and adoration for the dish.