Kwareżimal
Kwareżimal
Vegan Maltese dessert for Lent
A kwarezimal (Maltese: kwareżimal; from Italian Quaresima 'Lent') is a traditional Maltese biscuit, usually baked during Lent.[1] It contains flour, sugar, orange rind and ground almonds (intrita). They are vegan, since they contain no animal protein, eggs, or dairy products.
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Tradition holds that the kwarezimal was developed by the Knights of Malta. At the time, sugar was not restricted during Lent as it often is in modern practice, but rather considered a type of spice due to its high cost and humoral qualities.
In medieval Europe, animal products were to be avoided during times of penance. The choice of ingredients may have been limited, but that did not mean that meals were smaller. Neither were there any restrictions against moderate drinking or eating sweets. Banquets held on fish days were popular occasions for serving food that imitated meat, cheese and eggs in various ingenious ways: fish could be molded to look like venison and imitation eggs could be made by stuffing empty egg shells with fish roe and almond milk and cooking on coals.[citation needed]