Ġbejna (, plural ''ġbejniet'') is the diminutive of the Maltese word ġobna, which means "cheese"; it is synonymous with the Maltese English word "cheeselet", i.e. "little cheese". The rest of the article describes 'Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ', a type of Maltese cheeselet made in Malta and Gozo. Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ is a small round cheese made in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

from

sheep milk Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France). Sheep breed ...

, salt and

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin an ...

. Most sheep's milk produced in Malta is used for the production of these small cheeses. Milk in Malta was traditionally sold by milking goats on the streets and sold immediately as is. The unpasteurised milk sold was one of the causes of the spread of

brucellosis Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever. The ...

( mt, Deni Irqiq; "The Maltese Fever") in the late 19th to the early 20th century. Themistocles Zammit is credited with stopping the pandemic. Prior to

's accession to the European Union, the EU accepted Malta's request to protect the ġbejna along with the traditional variant of

ricotta Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain afte ...

Preparation and varieties

Ġbejna is shaped in a cheese hurdle made of dried reeds, although now plastic ones are also used. They are traditionally dried in small ventilated rooms, with windows protected by a special mesh mosquito net. It is said that in the past sea water, rather than rennet, was used as a curdling agent. The cheese is available both from pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. Ġbejniet are prepared and served in a variety of forms: fresh (''friski'' or ''tal-ilma''), sundried (''moxxa'', ''bajda'' or ''t'Għawdex''), salt cured (''maħsula''), or peppered (''tal-bżar''). The fresh variety have a smooth texture and a milky flavour and are kept in their own whey in a similar manner to

mozzarella Mozzarella (, ; nap, muzzarella ) is a southern Italian cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method. Fresh mozzarella is generally white but when seasoned it turns to a light yellow depending on the anim ...

. The sundried variety have a more definite, nutty almost musky taste, and are fairly hard. The peppered variety are covered in crushed black pepper and cured, after which they may be stored in oil or pickled in vinegar. Their sharp taste becomes more piquant the more they age, and they also develop a crumbly texture.

In Maltese cuisine

Ġbejna is an important element in a number of dishes such as ''soppa tal-armla''. It is often added to pasta dishes or soup to enhance flavour, as a pizza topping or the filling for ħobż biż-żejt. Gbejniet are sold in fresh, dried, or cured forms and may be seasoned with pepper or other herbs. You may find it deep-fried as an appetizer, cured on a mezze platter or even fresh as a filling for pasta. It is found on restaurant menus, or at a Maltese grocery or supermarket.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gbejna Maltese cheeses Sheep's-milk cheeses Maltese cuisine

Preparation and varieties

In Maltese cuisine

See also

References