An interesting and reasonably recent addition to the local culinary scene is Gululu, styled a “Casual Maltese Diner”, in Spinola Bay, St Julian’s. This unassuming restaurant located by the water’s edge in one of Malta’s prime locations cooks Maltese food.
This must seem very normal to travelers visiting the Maltese islands for the first time, yet until not too long ago the eateries where one could sample Maltese food were far and few between. Even then most were very traditional and focused more often than not on preparing the traditional fenkata – spaghetti with rabbit sauce, followed either by fried or stewed rabbit and fried potatoes. Why? “Possibly because of an inferiority complex” explains Julian Sammut, proprietor of Gululu, “many countries, especially small ones, which have been colonised and ruled over for centuries and have in many ways emulated and aspired to be like their foreign rulers tend to be ashamed of their national food. This is also what happened along the Spanish Costas when mass tourism descended upon them in the early 1960s. To make matters worse many of the chefs who worked in Malta’s first hotels were British Navy trained and whilst they were hard to beat when it came to a good roast or pudding, most were often at a loss as to how to handle and present typical local ingredients.”
Gululu offers a varied menu which includes both traditional and modern dishes, as in food which is made, as much as possible, using only typical ingredients and produce grown in Malta. This means that one can savour the more common dishes like rabbit, baked pasta and fish soup, yet also enjoy a variety of fritters, fresh salads and of course fish.
During July a Festa tat-Tonn, Tuna Feast, is held with specially concocted dishes using fresh tuna. “In my eyes hospitality is all about ensuring that whoever crosses our thresh hold is served well and leaves happy and satisfied. In my books this means that wherever possible we cater for many different needs and expectations whether our patrons are after a tasty snack accompanied by a beer or a full meal with a bottle of Malta’s exquisite wine.”
Two years ago Gululu built a traditional stone oven similar to the ones which bake Malta’s unrivalled bread in villages across the island. With this came the renaissance of the ftira was very popular yet now rarely found outside Gozo, Malta’s smaller sister island. The ftira is, simply explained, similar to the Neapolitan pizza, a dough base with different toppings baked at a very high temperature. The pastry of the ftira is more rustic than that of the pizza and crunchier. Its origins are similar to the Arab fatira, the word, of Semitic roots, literally means to “break the fast”.
Last month to couple the ftajjarija – after extending the premises by taking over the place next door – Gululu has launched a Pulpetterija. Pulpetti are to the Maltese what Polpette are to the Italians, Boulettes to the French and Burgers to the Germans and the rest of the world. “Pulpetti have been a favourite food for Maltese families for decades if not centuries. The thrifty mother would make these little cakes with her left overs or cheap cuts of meat or fish, and when cooked up in a moist sauce or gravy, and accompanied with fresh, crusty bread, they certainly bring a big, broad smile to the hungry family’s faces,” explains Julian excitedly, “Pulpetti offer a cook so many opportunities to create, so many flavours to combine. Of course at Gululu we do not use left overs, rest assured,” chuckles Julian, “on the contrary we seek to use the best and the freshest to guarantee a moist succulent bite, which is the secret behind a good pulpetta.”
Gululu’s pulpetti menu includes beef, pork, rabbit, lamb, salt cod, chicken, and Maltese sausage, all served in a crispy ftira bun or just with a salad, and hand-cut local potato chips
