Traditional nougat and the Maltese feasts
The earliest recorded references to a cobaytaro (nougat seller) dates back to the early years of the rule of the Order of St John (1530-1798). The 18th century philosopher and linguist Mikiel Anton Vassalli described the key ingredients for a type of nougat made during his time as consisting of a mixture made from sesame seeds, almonds, honey and sugar producing a brittle type of toffee known as qubbajt tal-penit.