A competition that safeguards the Maltese product and educates beyond the traditional catch.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights Anton Refalo together with Minister for Education Justyne Caruana in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture last year have teamed up and launched the first edition of the ‘Fishing for Recipes’ competition as part of the International Fisheries Day celebrations.

The main aim behind this culinary competition was for the whole family to participate while promoting the use of fish species that are not so popular caught in the waters of the Maltese Islands. This competition was spread over 6 weeks in which 36 students participated through submitting their own photos showcasing the ingredients they used in the recipe, the cooking process last but certainly not least the photo of the final dish.
The top ten dishes that were most liked on the Facebook page were evaluated by an expert jury and from which the top 4 dishes were selected. Points were awarded on creativity, presentation of the final result and adherence to the regulations provided.

The winners of the ‘Fishing for Recipes’ competition are:

In First Place: Adreana Chircop (10 years old) with the recipe ‘Grilled Mediterranean horse mackerel with honey and fennel’
In Second Place: Keira Privitera (10 years old) with the recipe ‘Steamed dogfish teriyaki’
In Third Place: Matthias Porter (9 years old) with the recipe ‘Mediterranean horse mackerel kebab’
In Fourth Place: Riana Galea (11 years old) with the recipe ‘Oven-baked parrotfish’

The expert jury was composed of:

Kurt Mifsud from the Mediterranean Culinary Academy
Neville Sultana from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Jordi Vegas from Wageningen University and PERICLES

Minister Refalo praised this initiative and said that there will be similar ones so that we can continue to increase our knowledge in terms of our tradition and culture all the while cherishing our identity more and being proud of everything which makes us Maltese and Gozitan.

Education Minister Justyne Caruana also praised the initiative taken in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights, as it continues to show that education delivered in schools is a holistic one and goes beyond traditional education. She said, “Fishing for Recipes is another initiative through which we are educating our children and students differently. This education was given in the form of a competition through which children had to research fish, also research tradition and at the same time learn and preserve traditions. It is also a way of preserving our culture, our tradition while also promoting healthy food and a healthier life and therefore a more holistic education that will last a lifetime for our students. “