Kusksu is a traditional

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 ...

soup made primarily from seasonal

broad beans ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Vari ...

, small pasta beads, and fresh ġbejniet. Although similar in shape, the small pasta beads, known locally as kusksu, look like

couscous Couscous ( '; ber, ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, translit=Seksu) – sometimes called kusksi or kseksu – is a Maghrebi dish of small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, ...

, but this one tends to be lighter and fluffier in texture. In contrast, kusksu, which gives the soup its name, is "miniature pasta" which is thick and ideal for

simmering Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil ...

. Once cooked, the short-cut pasta beads give the soup its distinctive creamy and warm texture, making it an ideal dish to serve during cold weather.

Origin

Given its close resemblance to

, it is likely that kusksu originated during Malta's Arab occupation. However, documentary evidence relating to this period is scarce. A reliable source dating back to the 18th century makes reference to peppercorn-like shaped pasta, suggesting that kusksu pasta was a staple in the Maltese diet.

Ingredients

The primary ingredient used in kusksu is the

broad bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Var ...

, known locally as ''ful''. Broad beans are well-adapted to the Maltese climate and can become invasive if left uncontrolled. In Malta, broad beans are typically sown in December and harvested during early spring. Their cultivation requires little or no care, and most Maltese farmers do not irrigate their crop. In 2016, Malta's National Statistics Office reported that 595 tonnes of broad beans were sold through official markets, a figure that puts into perspective why some locals refer to the broad bean as Malta's "iconic", or "favourite" bean. The small pasta beads, known as kusksu, are another key ingredient. Apart from giving the soup its name, the

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are ...

, which is "a little bigger than a coriander", adds "a fabulous texture that is like no other". The kusksu pasta, which is "not to be confused with

", is widely available in Malta, however, this key ingredient may be hard to source in international markets. While alternatives do exist, these may not always yield the best results. Other ingredients that are typically found in kusksu include the fresh Maltese

ġbejna Ġbejna (, plural ') is the diminutive of the Maltese word , which means "cheese"; it is synonymous with the Maltese English word "cheeselet", i.e. "little cheese". The rest of the article describes '', a type of Maltese cheeselet made in Malta ...

, usually added just before serving; generous amounts of

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northe ...

fried in

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

or butter; bay leaves; tomato paste; eggs which are typically poached in the soup itself, rather than

boiled Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. The ...

separately; water or

vegetable stock Stock, sometimes called bone broth, is a savory cooking liquid that forms the basis of many dishes particularly soups, stews, and sauces. Making stock involves simmering animal bones, meat, seafood, or vegetables in water or wine, often for a ...

; salt and pepper for

seasoning Seasoning is the process of supplementing food via herbs, spices, salts, and/or sugar, intended to enhance a particular flavour. General meaning Seasonings include herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings". H ...

, and parsley for garnishing. Kusksu - The Miniature Pasta

Variations

Multiple versions of this popular Maltese dish exist. Some have included fish, while others have introduced

bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sa ...

, cabbage, and

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes u ...

to their kusksu recipe. However, the more "authentic", or perhaps "original" versions of the dish, ''kusksu bil-ful'' (kusksu with broad beans), tend to feature fewer and simpler ingredients that are in season. In 2002,

MaltaPost MaltaPost p.l.c. is the postal service company in Malta. The public limited company took over the postal services previously carried out by Posta Limited, and started operating on 1 May 1998. History MaltaPost p.l.c. was registered with the M ...

issued a series of stamps to celebrate Maltese cuisine and the more traditional version of the dish, ''kusksu bil-ful'', was included.

References

{{European topic, , cuisine Maltese cuisine National dishes Soups Vegetable soups Food combinations Ancient dishes Mediterranean cuisine

Origin

Ingredients

Variations

See also

References