Terms & Vocabulary
La Vallette
An informal, Maltese-American slang term to loosely mean: The person from Valletta, the capital city of Malta. This term is derived from combining the historic Maltese city's name with the French (largely culinary) phrases "A La Valette," or in Valletta/to Valletta, and "De La Valette," or from Valletta/relating to Valletta.
/lah vah-LET/
More often in Malta, a person from the capital city of Valletta (known as Il-Belt, or The City) is referred to as Belti.
Pastizz
A savory pastry traditionally filled with ricotta or curried peas.
/pah-STITS/
In plural form: Pastizzi
/pah-STIT-see/
First Documented in the 1500's, and beloved for centuries by both locals and visitors of Malta, this Maltese word was formally entered into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2025.
Bajtar
The fruit of the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica, Prickly Pear, a vibrantly-colored, yet calmly-flavored, refreshing treat.
/BYE-tar/
In plural form: Bajtra
/BYE-trah/
The plant originated in Mexico, and was brought to Spain in the 1500's. It arrived on the Maltese Islands approximately one hundred years later by way of the Caribbean, and became a naturalized plant growing wild on the Maltese Islands.
The Bajtar fruit of this prickly plant is a popular ingredient in Maltese food and drink. Bajtra are rich in antioxidants, in fiber, and in vitamins A, B, and C.
Nanna u Nannu
Grandmother and Grandfather
/NAHN-nah oo NAHN-noo/
Nanna u Nannu are the central pillars of the Maltese family - the soil, the roots, and the trunk of the family tree. Nannas and Nannus play vital roles in sharing Maltese values and culture, in childrearing, and in providing a sense of security and guidance to the family unit. They represent unconditional love and are considered the backbone of the extended family. Especially in Maltese communities outside of Malta, Nannas and Nannus connect us to our cousins, to our aunts and uncles (who were often our housemates and neighbors), and are the precious links to understanding and experiencing our unique heritage together.
Maltese Nannas and Nannus are cherished everywhere for their warm hearts, their storytelling and their playfulness, their presence with us in their gardens and fishing boats and kitchens, their mindful attention to fine craftsmanship, their preservation of Maltese language and creation of regional dialects, and of course, for the continuity of love and legacy that traces through the traditional songs and recipes they've nourished us with throughout our lives.
Missieri
My Father
/mih-SEE-ree/
Missieri fulfilled a lifelong dream to one day return to his birthplace, to his beloved country of Malta, as a Nannu.
He ate many Pastizzi and Bajtra!