If you’re out and about picnicking on a sunny day like today, this might be one of the additions you’d consider for your picnic basket! The traditional ‘qagħaq tal-għasel’, known as honey or treacle rings in English, are delicious treats made throughout the year, but particularly associated with Maltese traditions during the Christmas season.

The Malta Food Agency actively promotes such Maltese artisanal food products, and visited a community in Dingli to observe the entire process of how honey rings are made in an artisanal manner, following a traditional recipe that has been passed down through generations.

The video taken during this educational visit also delves into the history origins of the honey rings, which have deep roots in traditional Maltese cuisine. The rings have often been imbued with spiritual meaning, such as the ring-like shape evoking the idea of a cycle that represents the liturgical calendar, or eternity. Since it is a treat made of honey, it would follow that this eternity is sweet. The filling that often oozes out of the slits in the dough, have been assimilated to the overflowing of goodness that comes about during the Christmas season, with reference to Christ’s birth. 

Regardless of whether the sweet’s form was intentionally created with such intentions, one thing’s for sure – it’s been around for quite a while! The earliest visual representation of the ‘qagħaq tal-għasel’ in Malta to date was painted by Pasquale Leonetti, possibly of Sicilian origin, in 1762. The painting is now located in the Refectory of the former Jesuit retreat in Floriana. That means centuries of divine treacle-filled rings lie in our nation’s history!

Are you a fan of ‘qagħaq tal-għasel’?