The taste experience comes in many forms
The very essence of life relies on nourishing our body. The often-overlooked fact is, ‘feeding’ our soul with nourishing experiences is equally important – and rewarding. For some, food is significantly more than a filling plate or something that needs to happen at predetermined times of the day and ultimately this soul satisfying pastime fills much more than tummies. Whether making, eating or sharing.
No, we’re not suggesting some outlandish approach to meals, nor are we proposing elaborate or expensive gastronomical extremes. What we’re on about is taste.
Taste and the associated experiences are, for the most part an intangible but ever so necessary aspect of our lives that is born from pure love. A passion for creating something extraordinary with every day, simple ingredients, composed in such fashion that it culminates in an adventure for your taste buds.
Remember granny’s beef stew, the way your mom prepared your macaroni or even that dish that keep your kids coming back for more? That’s exactly the point. Food has several different meanings for different people. Some find it comforting, others rely on it, simply as a means to keep alive but then there are those that understand a deeper and much more rewarding side to what we consider a diet. For these people it’s a labour of love, a lifelong yearning, a search for more.
We all have our little kitchen secrets, a recipe that we selfishly adapt but keep to ourselves, and no-one can quite replicate despite sharing the exacting requirements. That extra dash of olive oil when the recipe doesn’t call for it and a pinch of salt when least expected. These are the things that create extraordinary and meaningful tastes that does more than fill our mouths, but rather intrigues our minds, gets spoken about at family gatherings and carries for generations.
Now consider for a second that these tastes, born from these humble ingredients and brought to you in a non-traditional manner, are available for lunch whenever you feel like it, and you can literally collect it from a truck, yes, a truck on the street in the middle of a workday or have it delivered by a scooter. A massive contradiction when considering all things fine dining.
Well, allow me to share a secret. This requires us to take a leap of foodie faith, make a paradigm shift in our traditional taste thinking, walk across the garnished road and approach the ‘Seasoned’ Food Truck.
Forget the Michelin stars, the chandeliers and candle lit view - but be prepared to have your mind blown. The unassuming blue food truck that moves around Malta is the brainchild of Sephora and Keith as they humbly refer to themselves, and what they offer is nothing short of pure, unadulterated magic. In fact, it’s more adequately described as a taste explosion!
Simple, elegant and packed with ingenuity that stems from experience in kitchens locally and abroad. They consider food an essential, historical, creative and cultural expression. The foundation of social gatherings, the glue when bonding with friends and family and are acutely conscious about the health impact it has on our daily lives.
Their quintessential difference being a passion for experimenting with flavour. Evolving from a wholesome and in-depth understanding of Mediterranean tastes to an ‘international’ experience fuelled by the growing multicultural community we now exist in.
The menu, equally focussed in choice is misleading, considering what you’re about to delve into and everything is made with love, passion and a massive smile. It’s freshly prepared, immaculately researched down to the sesame seed topping, carefully considered when paying respect to fusing different cultures and whatever they slide over the counter you can rest assured will provide you with a taste experience so delightful you’ll be certain to cross the road, again and again.
This is but one example of many exquisite offerings that are popping up in the streets of Malta in a rapidly growing street food culture, but one that really stood out for us none-the-less. Point is, if you’re prepared to break with the typical approach to assuming you can only get great food at restaurants and explore something unique, you’ll be pleasantly surprised and rewarded with tastes that are bound to leave you wondering how you can have more of that in your life.
Given access to social media and the variety of cooking shows on television these days, anyone with the right intent can create amazing dishes at home in much the same manner as it would be prepared in the finest establishments. What’s more, if you have a sense of adventure, you can tailor those tastes to your family, your culture and even geography or season during the year.
Food has evolved beyond the four-letter word, metaphorically speaking, and has become something that we believe is closer to enlightenment. It’s a visceral display of one’s love, a unique and personal experience that you can tailor to your preference and what’s more, if you, like thousands of others embrace this foodie culture, experimenting with unique flavours and like trying something new and exciting the ingredients are available at your local daves store or online, so you don’t even have to leave home. It will literally come to you.
Therefore, if you’re an aspiring Ramsey, a good ‘ol stew bloke, just eating because you have to, or maybe you’re a mamma that cares, the reality is, sometimes, the food you make, share or just eat has the ability to transform how you feel, provide comfort for those that need it or create great memories and accordingly deserves the attention it may or may not currently be receiving.
Allow yourself to indulge in more than just a bite, consider your ingredients carefully and when all is said and done grate some chocolate over the top. Sprinkle some orange peel and draw a line on your plate with balsamic reduction. You or the one’s you love will thank you for the experience you create.