Ftira is a ring-shaped,
leavened
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made food ...
,
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
bread, usually eaten with fillings such as
sardines,
tuna,
potato, fresh
tomato,
onion, capers and olives. Regional variations include
Gozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
ftira, which is served more like a pizza than a sandwich. Gozitan ftira is served open with thinly sliced potato over the crust, or folded over like a
calzone
A calzone (, , ; "stocking" or "trouser") is an Italian oven-baked folded pizza, often described as a turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in ...
.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Following the
Maltese Parliament's unanimous approval to ratify UNESCO's
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in 2018 Malta's Culture Directorate launched a petition to include the Maltese ftira as part of UNESCO's
Intangible Cultural Heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...
(ICH) list. According to a local expert, 'The Making of the Ftira Maltija', as it is listed in the Directorate'
National Inventory dates back to the Sixteenth Century. Following a strong public call, the Government of Malta announced that it would be submitting the Maltese ftira to UNESCO for consideration as intangible cultural heritage. In 2020, the Maltese ftira was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
See also
*
Maltese cuisine
*
List of Maltese dishes
References
Maltese cuisine
Breads
National dishes
{{Malta-stub
