Imqaret are diamonds of pastry filled with a dark paste of dates, deep fried and eaten hot in your hand.
The name comes from the Arabic for diamond, which is the shape they are cut into before they go in the oil.
They cost about €1 to €1.50 from a van and they have not moved much in years.
What is inside
Dates cooked down with orange or lemon zest, sometimes with a little aniseed or a spoon of liqueur.
The pastry around it is plain and thin, closer to a shortcrust than anything sweet.
The whole thing is sweet and heavy. One is usually enough, and two is a decision you make once.
Where to buy imqaret
From a van. There is one parked outside the Valletta bus terminus most days and another at the gate in Mdina.
They turn up at every village festa and at fairs and markets across both islands.
Bakeries and supermarkets sell them cold in boxes. That is a different thing wearing the same name.
Hot, or not at all
They are fried to order and they are good for about ten minutes.
Cold, the pastry goes tough and the date filling sets hard. Reheating gets some of it back but not the crust.
A queue at the van is a good sign rather than a reason to walk on. It means the oil is busy and nothing is sitting.
With ice cream
Some vans will put a scoop of vanilla on top for another euro or so.
It is a modern addition and it works, because the hot pastry and the cold ice cream do the job together.
Eat it standing up. It does not survive being carried anywhere.
Where they come from
Dates and deep frying both point the same way, to the Arab period in Maltese cooking.
Similar date pastries are eaten across North Africa and Sicily. The Maltese version is the fried, diamond-cut one sold in the street.
They are cheap food, and they stayed cheap food. Nobody has turned them into a restaurant dessert, which is part of why they are still good.
Practical notes
- Vans usually take cash only.
- They are vegan at most vans, since the pastry is made with oil rather than butter. Ask if it matters.
- Take a napkin. They come wrapped in paper and they leak.
