Il-Kcina / The Kitchen

Kaxxa tal-ħobż / Bread bin

Kaxxa tal-ħobż / Bread bin

Il-kaxxa tal-ħobż magħmulha minn għatu magħqud bi strixxi fini tal-injam li jitwaħħlu minn kolla tas-siġar taż-żnuber. Il-ħobż kien jinżamm f’din il-kaxxa f’post fil-kċina u l-ħobż kien jinżamm ‘l bogħod mix-xemx u minn attakki tad-dbieben jew minn xi werdien. Kienu ftit familji fil-bidu tal-ħamsinijiet li kienu konxji mill-iġene, imma maż-żmien sar tferrix ta’ tagħrif kif wieħed seta’ jieħu ħsieb li ma jitferrex il-mard li jinġarr mid-dubbien. Fis-sittinijiet, kien ikun hemm vettura bil-films fit-toroq Maltin u Għawdxin li kien jinforma l-pubbliku kemm hija importanti l-iġene. Kien ċinema mobbli li fuq vann kien iżur l-irħula. Kienet tkun avveniment edukattiv li jgħallem lil ġens biex iżommu l-ikel protett mill-mard u l-kaxxa tal-ħobż “breadbin” minn kontenitur tal-injam saret tal-ħadid.

The bread bin that closes with a lid made of thin strips of wood from fir trees stuck together with glue. The bread was placed in this box in the kitchen away from the sun and infestations of flies and cockroaches. They were a few families in the early 50s that where conscious of hygiene, but with time the knowledge was spread about how one can prevent spreading illnesses carried by flies. In the 60s there used to be a vehicle with films going around the Maltese and Gozitan streets that would inform the public how important hygiene is. It  was a mobile cinema van that would go around villages. It would be an educational event that would teach the people how to protect food from diseases, and the bread bin from wood started to be made of metal.