At Tuta we are redefining the farm to fork with a Gozitan twist. Join our head chef, Stephan Tabone in a forage through the farm to pick the freshest ingredients and a visit to the local market to experience the everyday village life.
But the way we cook is just as important as what we eat. Electricity wasn’t introduced in Gozo until the 1930s, but even then, fridges and ovens were far from common so our grandparents would cook in a “kenur”. This is a type of terracotta cauldron placed on top of a fire made from wood and any combustible they could find where all the food had to be slow cooked with time to simmer to ensure that meat was cooked throughout while also bringing out deep and rich flavours.
When cooking big meals that required an oven many families would prepare a dish with meat and vegetables that they would take to the local baker known as the “furnar” which originates from the Italian word for oven. This was because the baker would typically have a large oven, that would still hold the warmth from baking the bread in the morning to then be used to communally cook for the whole village with these trays. People would drop off their food in the morning before mass and pick it up at noon to enjoy with their families, after having filled the entire village with smells of delicious food that would have had people salivating all day. Many Gozitans admit that while cooking at home in an electric oven is convenient, the taste does not compare with the long slow cooks of the past that many still practice on special occasions.
Chef Tabone will tell you about his family’s history with food, and how it was cooked, preserved, and shared while highlighting the use of seasonal and fresh ingredients to help you create memorable Gozitan dishes and take them home with you.