Ġbejna

Ġbejna is a small cheeselet produced from sheep or goat milk, rennet, and salt. The cheese can be prepared in numerous ways – salted, peppered, pickled, covered in herbs, or plain. It is believed that Ġbejna was originally prepared with seawater instead of rennet as a curdling agent.

Nowadays, the cheese is a staple of Maltese cuisine - it can be used in a traditional Maltese soup called soppa tal-armla, served with local sourdough bread for breakfast, or paired with dips and spreads in Maltese appetizer platters. Many Maltese restaurants have recently employed the practice of using this cheese instead of ricotta in the preparation of a traditional filled pastry known as qassatat.