Sea Salt from Malta

Sun, sea and salads, ...three of my favourite things about summer. Living in an island surrounded by the sea, it's easy to take its richness for granted. The Mediterranean sea has a long history of trade and one of the items to make cargoes worth fighting for was sea salt. As a traditional product sea salt has lost most of its use here in Malta. The reason being that imported mined salt has been commercially introduced and marketed in supermarkets to a much greater extent. Traditions are very important and loosing this tradition would be a real pity.

As Merill Local Products we have teamed up with traditional salt harvesters who still have this activity at heart. The harvesting and packaging process is carried out by the harvesters while we do marketing of this authentic product. Jars of sea salt are attractively presented in hampers, ideal to give as presents. 

Feel free to visit the Merill Local Products Facebook fan page to find out more about our Eco Hampers.

Marketing the sea salt is definitely just one step towards the revival of this tradition! We are doing our best to create awareness about sea salt harvesting, the hardship behind it and health aspects related to salt. To start this off, we are setting up workshops of salt harvesting. These are being very well received, especially with parents who are enthusiastic about having their kids learn about local traditions.

For more updates about workshops being organised, visit and "Like" our Merill Eco Tours fan page

Here are some interesting facts about salt; 

Salt is a mineral made up of sodium chloride. It has an important role in the human body and its use has an intrinsic history. Too much of it can be harmful to us but a little of it is definitely a must! Sea salt is salt obtained by the evaporation of seawater, and is used in cooking and cosmetics. Generally more expensive than table salt, it is commonly used in gourmet cooking and specialty.

Iodine, a chemical naturally found in the sea is essential for human health. However, rock salt which naturally lacks iodine compounds compared to sea salt, is iodized industrially for use in treatments to prevent goitre and other iodine deficiency syndromes. 

Here are some vital functions of salt in the body:

• Most effective in stabilising irregular heartbeats and, contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, it is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure - in conjunction with water. Naturally, the proportions are critical.
• Necessary for the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells.
• Essential for balancing the sugar levels in the blood; a needed element in diabetics.
• An important element to the nerve cells' communication and information processing all the time that the brain cells work, from the moment of conception to death.
• 27 % of the body's salt is found in the bones. Osteoporosis results when the body needs more salt and takes it from the body. Bones are 22% water. 
• Essential for the prevention of muscle cramps.

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt and http://www.bonairesalt.com/products.html

Compiled by Jeanette Borg (31.8.2011)

A Delightful Summer Fruit from Malta

Bambinella Fruit

The Small Malta June Pear, also known as Bambinella, is one of the minor fruits grown in Malta. The shape of this fruit resembles that of a Pear, but is smaller and more round in shape. It's absolutely delicious and would suggest it to anyone with a sweet tooth :) Going price is around 2.50 Euro per pot and are available at fruit and veg vendors. One can also visit the Farmer's Market in Ta' Qali and purchase the fruit directly from the farmers (Tuesdays and Saturdays only).

Food for Thought on Malta Inside Out

Click on this link to read the article:
Food for thought article

Baked goodies

It's always a pleasure visiting bakeries. The nice smell of baked goodies can be sensed from far away. Many say that traditional recipes are dying out...certainly not true. Some are still committed to bake the traditional way and sell the most tasty crispy bread and delicious sweets ever. The buns showing in this photo are not just any buns. Their texture is light and their sweet taste makes you feel nostalgic. Bread and buns are two of the few items one can find at traditional bakeries. Almond rings, croissants, coconut sweets and fig rolls would make excellent treats to a tea party, Holy Communion or Baptism party.

As kids we used to smell and taste these goodies more often. Nowadays life is so busy that we rarely stop when we smell cakes freshly baked. To keep these traditions going, we Maltese need to support such bakers and make them feel proud of the work they do. 

The eco friendly fruity temptation

Posing with a Fig and Blackberry Smoochie

How many times have you heard health promo slogans say...consume 5 a day? Well, eating fruits is the easiest, most enjoyable and safest way to pack yourself with healthy vitamins and anti oxidants.

Sandra Zammit had this in mind around 5 years ago when she developed a great eco-friendly business. She is a wife and mum of four and before starting up this venture she felt that it's not easy to give kids fresh, washed, peeled and chopped fruits in today's busy timetable. After lots of planning, risk taking and hard work, Smoochies came along. No concentrates, sugars or additives, and not even one drop of water. The fruits form a tasty blend within every 250ml bottle.

Today I also had the opportunity to visit the factory where Smoochies are made. What a lovely place! The employees all had a nice smile on their face and they do a lot of hard work with dedication. They process the fruit, manage the machinery and carry out meticulous cleaning after every process. The hygiene at the factory is super and a HACCP plan is toroughly followed to bring a safe and genuine product to consumers.

There are many ways why Smoochies are eco friendly. Whenever possible, local fruits are used. All the bottles are made of recycled plastic. The business is also social friendly as the welfare of the employees is evident. They are motivated, trained and happy producing a bountiful product to families in Malta and Gozo. 

Sandra will be taking up more challenges....she has lot of delicious stuff coming up in the future...and always with a sustainable vision in mind!

For more info about Smoochies call on 27017127.

Pastizzi from Malta!!

Pastizzi are a Maltese food made up of diamond shape pastries filled with either ricotta (similar to Italian ricotta but less dense) or slightly spicy pea filling, known respectively in Maltese as pastizzi ta' l-irkotta and pastizzi tal-pizelli. The pastry is made using a puff-pastry like dough that crumbles delicously especially when the pastizzi are served freshly baked in the various pastizzerias dotted around Malta and Gozo. A visit to Malta would not be complete without tasting a few!

Pastizzi can be eaten at anytime of the day as a quick snack with hot or cold beverages. Other pastizzi variants made of beef and spinach fillings also exist although these are not commonly sold in Malta. Sometimes pastizzi are referred to as Maltese cheesecakes or ricotta cheesecakes, a slightly misleading term since cheesecakes are usually sweet not savoury like pastizzi. Pastizzi are also available outside of Malta, most notably in Australia, Canada and the UK.

Source: www.pastizzi.com 

Shaping up before summer? - Why not prepare a local "gbejna" salad!

dry peppered sheep cheeslets

Temperatures are rising and we'll soon start enjoying our lovely beaches....what's the next step? Start getting in shape. Traditional sheep and goat cheeselets, in Maltese "gbejniet", are excellent as condiments for salads and platters. There are a variety of types one can choose from. Fresh carrots and beef steak tomatoes go well with "gbejniet" and other processed goodies. 

Sheep and goat rearing has been carried out in Malta since ancient times. They are far more sustainable than larger non-native animals such as cows, as they are smaller herbivorous animals, thus they consume less and produce less manure. Housing them takes less space. This also adds on to the sustainability index of farms specialised in sheep and goats only, since land is a limited resource in Malta.

There is also some good news for lactose intolerant persons. Sheep and goat cheeselets contain milk fats and proteins that are more digestible. Please do take care to buy directly from trustworthy farmers! 

For more information do not hesitate to contact us on 79411388 for more details.