Malta’s Irkotta – What Sets it Apart

The fluffy, creamy ingredient is a definite Benna favourite, with a history, production method and culinary role all its own.

Ramona Depares explores its journey from seaside salt-curdled tradition to supermarket staple.

Ask anyone what goes into a pastizz (savoury cheesecake), and chances are they’ll say ricotta. But in Malta, what we really mean is irkotta - softer, milder, and made differently to its Italian cousin.

Ricotta is one of those ingredients that’s always been there, turning up in both savoury dishes and sweets, but rarely getting much attention in its own right.

Irkotta and ricotta might look similar, but they’re far from being the same thing. Ricotta is usually made from reheated whey - what’s left over from making other cheeses - and has a slightly firmer texture. Irkotta, on the other hand, starts with milk.

At Benna’s Malta Dairy Products facility, the milk is gently heated and treated with food-grade calcium and sodium, which helps the curds form. The process used to involve seawater, drawn from Qalet Marku or, later, Gozo.

That changed in the 1990s, when EU regulations were introduced. Even so, the result is still recognisably Maltese - softer than ricotta, with a clean, slightly salty taste that works well across a range of dishes.

And there are quite a few of irkotta-based dishes that are loved by both locals and visitors. You’ll find irkotta in ravioli and lasagna, in baked qassatat, in the occasional timpana with a twist. It’s the base of many a pie and finds its way into cakes and pastries too.

Some people eat it plain on bread, with tomato and olive oil, others prefer it sweetened for desserts. It doesn’t shout for attention, but without it, many of our most familiar foods would taste completely different.