Home / National Book Prize / Bread & Bakers in Eighteenth-Century Malta Historiographic research Bread & Bakers in Eighteenth-Century Malta Bread is the most basic means of survival for the majority of early modern society. Similar to other Mediterranean societies, the eighteenth-century Maltese community was held hostage to the acquisition, distribution, processing and consumption of bread. The strict dependence of the Maltese archipelago on grain imports from Sicily is best evinced through the intrigues associated with the efficient distribution of grain supplies. Beyond the well-trodden theme of political intrigues and economic negotiations involved in the acquisition of grain, this book employs the grain-bread cycle to explore various aspects of panivours’ activities that so far have remained unnoticed. Buy the book Midsea Books Historiographic research 2025 Noel Buttigieg Noel Buttigieg is the Head of the Department of Tourism Management of the University of Malta specializing in cultural heritage with a particular interest in food culture. His most recent publications are Food and the Pilgrim: Nourishment for Pilgrims and Faith-Based Tourists (Peter Lang AG International Academic Publishers, 2023) and Bread and Bakers in Eighteenth-Century Malta (Midsea Books, 2024). Dr Buttigieg was the main sponsor for the successful application for Ftira (a traditional sourdough flatbread) to be included in the UNESCO List for Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity in 2020. Dr Buttigieg is one of the directors of Taste History Limited, an arm of the national agency Heritage Malta. NEED ANY HELP? GET IN TOUCH contact us