Pastizz makes it official! Malta’s iconic snack enters the Oxford English Dictionary

Malta’s most beloved snack has just landed a spot in one of the world’s most respected dictionaries. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has officially added ‘pastizz’ to its latest update, alongside three other Malta-related entries: ‘aljotta’, ‘bigilla’, and ‘Maltese English’.

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The OED traces the first recorded use of ‘pastizz’ in English back to 1910, defining it as the classic Maltese savoury pastry typically stuffed with ricotta or curried peas. While unmistakably Maltese, both the pastry and its name have travelled far beyond the islands, following Maltese communities to places such as Australia and Canada.

Etymologically, the word dates back to the 18th century in Maltese and is thought to stem from the Italian pasticcio or the Sicilian pastizzu, both of which translate to ‘pie’.

The dictionary update also shines a spotlight on other elements of Malta’s food culture and linguistic identity. ‘Aljotta’, a traditional fish soup with Sicilian influences, appears in English records from 1970. ‘Bigilla’, first noted in 1998, refers to the broad bean dip whose roots may lie in Ottoman Turkish or Arabic.

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Adding further recognition, the OED now includes ‘Maltese English’, described as a variety of English shaped by the Maltese language, with loanwords and local adaptations. The update also features a new pronunciation model for Maltese English, created by OED phonetics specialist Matthew Moreland, reinforcing Malta’s presence on the international linguistic stage.

Do you think ‘pastizzi’ deserved a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary?