A simple, traditional bowl of kusksu bil-ġbejniet goes down so well – especially on a rainy day – that it is still a favourite among the Maltese in Australia.

In fact, a menu of broad bean soup with fresh cheese followed by prickly pear ice cream yesterday won the fifth edition of the Maltese Cook Off held in Melbourne, organised by the community group called nisġa.

The group wants to pass on the Maltese identity to Australian youth through cultural events such as the cook-off, which was launched after the parents of Sandra Mooney’s friends gradually passed away, taking with them their secret recipes.

Ms Mooney, the president of the non-profit association, realised that the younger generations were losing the Maltese palate.

Organised for the first time in 2011, the event has been held annually since then by popular demand. It is meant to help contestants pass on Maltese recipes in a fun way.

Organised for the first time in 2011, the event has been held annually since then by popular demand. It is meant to help contestants pass on Maltese recipes in a fun way

This year, it brought together eight teams of three people, in some cases three generations from one family, who battled it out by cooking Maltese traditional food.

With their kusksu and ice cream, Carmen Portelli and her two children, Luke and Annie, impressed the panel of judges, composed of cookbook author Karmen Tedesco, head chef Anton Camilleri and former MasterChef contestant Tregan Spiteri.

Mouth-watering kusksu bil-ġbejniet and ġelat tal-bajtar tax-xewk were the winning dishes of this year’s Maltese cook-off held in Melbourne. Photo: Tregan Spiteri

Runners-up Emmanuel Cilia, his brother Anthony and nephew Matthew prepared a dish of rabbit and baked rice.

They were followed closely by Mill-Kċina ta’ Parkville – a group made up of Edwina Mallia, Rosemary Attard and Antonia Camilleri, with their bread with bigilla and baked swordfish, which also won the People’s Choice Award.

The sold-out event sees a colourful assortment of dishes every year, and last year’s winning combination was brunġiel mimli (stuffed eggplant) and a Kinnie cake.

This year, the cook-off brought together 250 people who tucked in to Maltese food while Nicky Bomba’s band Bustamento and veteran singer Nicol Caruana belted out some Maltese favourites.

Closing off the event with good news, those present were told that the Maltese film Simshar, directed by Rebecca Cremona, will hit cinema screens in Melbourne and Sydney in October.