Quality food for the village festa : the promotion of Maltese cuisine as a product of cultural tourism

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how traditional Maltese food can be presented in village festas as an alternative to the unhealthy fast food offered by food stalls. The dissertation is based on the assumption, shared by the Slow Food Movement, that everyone has a fundamental right to eat well and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make it possible. The literature analysed in the dissertation describes that food occupies an unmatched reality in our lives. It enables the communication between different cultures while experiencing culinary pleasures. The Maltese cuisine, like any other cuisine, is better understood when it is looked at through the historical development of the country, its people, and the social and cultural contexts such as the village festa. The study seeks also to recognize the link between the views of the general public and the opinions of the food-stall owners who are present during festas. From the study of the responses obtained, it appears that people have a positive attitude towards local Maltese food if this ought to be available at festas. The analysis also showed that food-stalls vendors prefer to sell non-Maltese fast-foods, even though they think people are ready to pay a higher price for local food. Good quality local food is not only important for health purposes but it even encourages people to appreciate genuine tastes and local traditions better. In this sense, the amalgamation of festa and cuisine may offer a valuable tourist product.