Albania’s geographical location and its influence on traditional Albanian cuisine
Albania is in Southeastern Europe and has a strategic geographical location serving as a bridge between East and West Europe. Most of the country’s terrain is mountainous and the Albanian coastline from North to South lies on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, both part of the Mediterranean. Throughout history, foreign civilisations have left their mark in the Albanian cuisine. These pieces of information are crucial because they shaped Albanian cuisine and brought nowadays the uniqueness of traditional Albanian food to our tables.
Main ingredients of Albanian cuisine
Three are the main pillars of traditional Albanian cuisine: bread, meat/fish and a huge variety of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables. These products combined, brought to us today a huge variety of dishes that give you the taste of Albania. Both of us were born and raised in Albania and we are bringing in this post the best of our knowledge and experience from our motherland cuisine. And now, let’s dive into each of the traditional dishes to help you enjoy the best of Albanian food during your visit.
Description for each main dish and dessert
Main dishes
Fasule (Beans)
Fasule is one of the most typical dishes of the Albanian cuisine. This course is national, meaning you will find it in every Albanian home. Albania cultivates beans and the dish is pretty straightforward. Most of the ladies in their homes add to the dish onions and tomato sauce. In some areas, you can find fasule also with extra vegetables such as carrots. An interesting finding is Byrek with Fasule. Very good, but a bit heavy for my taste. Even though Fasule is very popular in Albanian households, especially in winter, it is not common in restaurants.
Byrek
Byrek is a classic. Till now I haven’t heard an Albanian say that they don’t eat Byrek. Byrek is a filo pastry and is filled with one of the following: meat, cheese, gjizë (dairy product), spinach, leek, tomato, onion, potatoes etc. The food is served in the ones called Byrektore, a kind of street food shop. It is cheap and pretty filling.
Qofte (Meatballs)
The Albanian variation of meatballs has ground meat, eggs, bread, onions and fresh herbs. They are all mixed and fried in the pan. Meatballs are served alone with vegetables or turshi or with soup dishes.
Mish zgare (Grilled meat)
Albanians love meat. Any kind of it and we have meat on every occasion. Starting from chicken, turkey, beef, pork and lamb. The grilled meat is served with grilled/ fresh vegetables or rice.
Turshi
A huge variety of vegetables grow in a Mediterranean climate and most of them are preserved in salted water with garlic, vinegar and herbs for a minimum period of three weeks. Turshi can be peppers, cucumbers, green tomatoes, aubergines, white cabbages and carrots. The most special of all is of course olives. After getting them out of salted water, season them with olive oil, lemon juice, onion/leek and ready to enjoy. Turshi is served with other main dishes mentioned above, especially with fasule.
Fli
This unique dish identifies itself with North Albania and Kosovo. If you travel to these places, you will hear about this dish. It is inevitable. Fli is a simple yet delicious dish made of multiple layers and baked slowly. You can find fli in Tirana bakeries too because many north Albanians have moved to the capital and have brought the tradition with them.
Jufka me pulë
Another delicious dish of Northeast Albania, specifically the Dibër region. Jufka me pulë is homemade pasta with chicken cooked in the oven. You can find the dish at a very reasonable price in Dibër because the region is one of the least visited areas in Albania but also in the capital, there are a few restaurants that serve the dish.
Tavë Kosi
The dish remains still nowadays a symbol of the cuisine of Elbasan city in Central Albania. Tava e kosit is quite spread in the region and does not miss in Albanian homes and restaurants. It is a casserole with lamb meat and a mixture of yoghurt, white flour, butter and eggs. If you are not a fan of lamp there are other variations of meat for the dish.
Fërgesë
We are still in Central Albania with fergesë but the dish is spread in other parts of Albania too. Fërgesë is unique and we haven’t found it in any other place during our travels. The main ingredient is gjiza with vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes or another version of the dish is gjizë with liver. This one is served at Albanian weddings too.
Përshesh me gjel deti
If you are invited to New Year’s Eve in Albania, there is a pretty high chance the main dish will be Përshesh me gjel deti because the dish is the traditional Albanian food for New Year’s dinner. Përshesh consists mainly of corn/flour bread and gjel deti is turkey. The cooking method varies depending on the city but the main ingredients are as described. What makes this dish taste so good is the preparation of the Përshesh with meat broth from cooking the turkey.
Rosnica me pulë fshati
Rosnica was a surprise for me too during our last visit to Albania. Even though the main ingredients are flour and chicken, the dish is cooked very differently from other traditional flour-based dishes. You should try it to understand what I mean. Rosnica is one of the most interesting Albanian food dishes. You can find this dish in Fier, South Albania. Keep in mind that they serve big portions of Rosnica so bring some people with you to enjoy it best.
Lakror
Lakror is a pastry dish with two layers and filled with meat, cheese, leek, tomato, onion, etc. The dish is originally from the Korça region in Southeast Albania but is widely cooked in other parts of the country. The pastry has the same products as Byrek but tastes different. During your journey in the region don’t miss this great authentic dish.
Pastërma
Before the fridge, people used to invent methods to preserve food for harsh winter days and Pastërma is an example of it. Pastërma is cured meat with salt. The place to find Pastërma in Albania is the Korça region. Served with fasule/beans, the dish is a great choice for a winter lunch.
Saltwater food
Albania’s coastline is 476 km and for a small country that’s great. Both seas offer great seafood dishes in Albanian cuisine. Apart from fish, squid and shrimp you can try mussels in the Ksamil area in South Albania.
Freshwater fish
The country’s hydrology is rich with lakes and rivers and the life in them has given the locals the possibility to include freshwater fish in their diet. From the carp fish at Shkodra Lake to the Koran (endemic trout) of the Ohrid Lake, you have plenty of dishes to choose from.
Desserts
Ballokume
Ballokume is the main theme of Dita e Verës, a national holiday on 14 March. The origin of the Dita e Verës is in Elbasan, a very old holiday celebrated by the residents of the area. The main ingredients of Ballokume are cornflour, eggs, butter and sugar. Ballokume requires a lot of hard work but it is worth it.
Reçel (Jam)
Albania has a huge variety of fruits and a good part of them are made into jam. Starting from figs, plums, quinces, oranges, watermelons and the list goes on. Their jam is very delicious, especially the homemade one.
Gliko
Gliko is a typical dessert from the Përmet region in Albania. We have different kinds of Gliko depending on the fruit you use to make it. Don’t miss it when you travel to Përmet. Usually, gliko is served to the guests that come for a visit to the house.
Bakllava
I believe Bakllava is well known by tourists who have travelled in the Balkans or Turkey. The most popular Bakllava in Albania is the one with walnuts and eaten for the New Year’s dinner.
Hasude
Hasude is an interesting dessert in Albania made primarily from starch and sugar. I prefer it when is still hot but a lot of people eat Hasude after it cools down. Hasude is quite easy to make and tastes surprisingly very good.
Tips for finding the best food in Albania
Here I am going to give you hints to find the best traditional Albanian food.
As a general rule, the deeper you travel in the countryside, the more likely you are to find the best traditional food. Try to go outside of your comfort zone because there are fewer tourists and way better food.
Eat at the guesthouses. They serve traditional Albanian food at really convenient prices. The portions are huge and you will not need to eat anything else.
Another hint to finding the best food is asking the locals. People are polite and gladly will help you with their suggestions and they know what places are worth it. If a tourist asks for a food recommendation in your area, I am sure you have great tips for them. The same goes for you in Albania.
Look for restaurants with traditional cuisine on Google Maps. Type traditional, authentic etc, the name of the city and then you have some places to go to. Reviews from other visitors help a lot too.
If you like slow travel and you are cooking some of your meals by yourself, then go to the local market and buy the best seasonal products.
I hope you will enjoy Albanian cuisine with all the information from above and together with the endless attractions the country has to offer, you will have a unique experience. Happy Travelling!
