Born from thrift and tradition, pudina tal-ħobż is the Maltese cross between English bread and butter pudding, and European Christmas cake that proves you can make delicious comfort food on a budget.
Pudina’s story dates back to the 17th century, when Maltese families were facing poverty. Instead of throwing out stale bread, clever cooks rehydrated the staple with water and added whatever cheap ingredients they had on hand. The result was an affordable, sweet pudding that’s stood the test of time.
Today, pudina is a frugal favourite, enjoyed by Maltese families around the world.
Australian-Maltese chef, Shane Delia rediscovered his love of pudina during a recent trip to Malta for his new show, Shane Delia’s Malta, on SBS. His reunion with a crusty, caramelised slice of pudina reminds us that ‘waste not, want not’ never goes out of style.
Shane Delia making pudina in Shane Delia’s Malta.
Here’s why pudina is the dish we all need on our serving plates right now.
1. Pudina is the perfect dish to make during the cost-of-living crisis
If ever there was a dessert built for hard times, pudina tal-ħobż is it.
“Traditionally, the Maltese waste nothing,” says Mark Mizzi, chef and owner of Nanna’s Place, a Mediterranean restaurant in South Melbourne. “Now, we’re in a cost of living crisis. So we all need to reduce food waste and save money. That’s why pudina is the perfect dish to make on a budget.”
2. Pudina is a one-dish, cultural flavour bomb
It’s believed that pudina was initially created to be a cheap variation of the British bread and butter pudding, at a time when Malta was a British colony. However, over centuries, the recipe increasingly became more ‘Maltese’. With time, the island’s many multicultural food influences (Sicilian, English, Arabic, Phoenician, African) have been integrated into the recipe to create a sweet, cultural flavour bomb.
For example, traditional pudina features “chocolate from the New World, citrus from the Arabs, sultanas from the Phoenicians,” says Delia in his new show. “It mixes together so many threads of Maltese culinary tradition.”
3. Pudina’s recipe is seriously flexible
Pudina is a forgiving dish that’s easy to make. Simply rehydrate the bread, mix the ingredients, press the mixture into a tray and bake it in the oven. The Maltese pudding is so accessible that its ingredient list can also bend to your tastes and budget.
While some traditional recipes rehydrate the stale bread by soaking it in water, the Maltese-Australian author, Simon Bajada opts for milk. “No two families make it the same,” writes Bajada about pudina in his recipe book, Malta. “It’s delicious and easy to make.”
In his pudina recipe, Bajada folds in cocoa, citrus zest, dates and mixed spice. Meanwhile, Mizzi’s version of pudina is quite different to Bajada’s. Mizzi adds walnuts, candied peel, glazed cherries, cloves and cinnamon, and rehydrated bread made in the restaurant the day before.
Whether it’s a modern or traditional version of the ancient recipe, there’s no wrong way to make pudina. It’s a dessert that can be eaten hot or cold that invites creativity as well as forgiveness.
4. Pudina doubles as a stress-free Christmas pudding
Commonly made by many using chocolate, fruit and spice, pudina feels festive without even trying. Mizzi says it’s “a Christmas pudding, but just Maltese.”
Dress it up with almonds, glazed cherries or a splash of brandy, or serve it simply with whipped cream as Bajada suggests. “Store it in the fridge and it will last the whole week,” says Mizzi. “Dessert is sorted. No waste, no stress.”
5. Pudina tastes like family memories
At its core, pudina is comfort in a tray. “Pudina is like a big hug from your mum,” says Delia on SBS.
In Malta, Delia meets Manuel Zammit from Ta’ Barbetta in Żejtun, who has been baking pudina fresh every day since his mother passed away in 1983. “It’s her recipe,” Zammit tells Delia. This version of pudina has been in Zammit’s family for generations.
“When you mention your mum’s or grandma’s cooking, you go back to when you were young, eating it with them,” says Mizzi. “That’s why this dish is all about memories. It reminds us of our parents and grandparents who have gone.”
Pudina is continuity, love and sweet proof that home can live on in a Maltese-inspired tray of bread pudding.