 Description
Broad Bean Paste (Bigilla – The national snack of Malta)
This recipe was supplied to us by our resident Maltese employee. She recalls as a child (and she laughed at how long ago that was) that the bigilla vendors would appear during the evening hours selling this very traditional snack especially in the winter months.
They would sell this hot paste on a piece of wax paper. It was a very special treat, an occasion when she and her sisters would stroll hand in hand along with their mother to purchase this special treat.
Malta is a very small island approximately 90 kilometers off the south coast of Italy. They have their own language and their own way of cooking. The population is less than half a million and we can almost assure you that they all love Bigilla.
The following is the traditional method of making this Maltese snack and for a small area like Malta to be recognized around the world for this recipe, it is quite an achievement. Nevertheless, Malta is not a new country, it has a history of over 5,000 years.
Ingredients
500g Broad Beans or Fava Beans
1/4 Olive or Soya Oil
Chopped Parsley to taste
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
Soak the beans overnight in water with salt and baking soda.
The next day, drain water. Wash beans thoroughly, and remove any foreign objects.
Place in beans in medium pot, fill with enough water to cover the beans and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and allow beans to simmer until tender to your satisfaction.
Drain excess water from the beans.
Place beans in a glass bowl and crush or mince them (skin included).
Add oil, parsley, crushed garlic and make into a paste.
Enjoy while still hot.
If you want to avoid the presoaking and cooking of the beans, we suggest that you use a can of Mr. Goudas Broad Beans or Fava Beans which are ready to eat as a salad or as a main ingredient in recipes such as this.
The can of Mr. Goudas Broad Beans is not used only by Maltese but is very favourable to the middle eastern culture in general, North Africans and South Europeans dishes.
However, a little known fact about Broad Beans or Fava Beans is that most of the world’s production is centered in the South American country, Bolivia. The best quality of course, is supplied to the Mr. Goudas Brand.
|
Print friendly version