A sunny island with a prestigious title. Tourists will see it from a new side

Every year, the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism organizes a competition in which it awards the title of the European Gastronomy Region. The organization aims to promote culinary diversity in Europe and the awards are announced in advance.

In 2026, the title will be awarded to, among others: Gozo, the second largest island of Malta. The sunny country has been increasingly liked by Polish tourists for several years – so much so that from November 11 to the end of March, Wizz Air will fly there every day.

Malta is a paradise for foodies. She was awarded a prestigious distinction

When awarding the title, experts appreciated the high quality of local products, attachment to traditional food production methods and “the harmonious combination of culture, art and crafts”. In the video presenting Gozo’s candidacy, attention was drawn to the philosophy of “we are what we eat” and eating products from our own farms.

The jury, which visited Gozo in February, appreciated, among others: gbejniet (round sheep cheese produced only in this region), ftira (classic, local bread) and tomato processing.

This is not the first time Malta has been appreciated for its cuisine. The capital of this island, with less than 10,000 inhabitants, Valletta recently took first place in the ranking of 10 hidden gems with the best cuisine in Europe according to Italki. Unexpectedly, it beat out Italian and Spanish cities.

Greece and Croatia were also awarded

In 2026, two more places will hold the title of European gastronomic regions – Greek Crete and the Croatian region of Kvarner.

The European Region of Gastronomy award has been granted since 2016 and aims to raise awareness of the cultural and gastronomic richness of the Old Continent. Poland has not yet been awarded this title. In 2025, Sicily will be proud of it.