Albanian cuisine

The Albanian cuisine (Albanian: Kuzhina shqiptare) is the national cuisine of the Albanian people. It is Mediterranean, influenced by many including Italian and Turkish cooking.

Albanian cuisine is characterized by the use of Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, mint, basil, rosemary and more in cooking meat and fish, but also chilli pepper and garlic. Vegetables are used in almost every dish.

The main meal of the Albanians is lunch, which usually consists of gjellë (stew), the main dish of slowly cooked meat with various vegetables, and a salad of fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and olives. The salad is dressed with salt, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice.

In high elevation localities, smoked meat and pickled preserves are common. Animal organs are also used in dishes such as intestines and the head among other parts, which are considered a delicacy. Dairy products are integral part of the cuisine usually accompanied with ever present bread and alcoholic beverages such as Raki. Seafood specialties are also common in the coastal cities such as Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër, Lezhë and Sarandë.

Appetizers

Corn bread and pogace bread (left), Buying bread in Albania (right).

Wheat Bread (Bukë gruri) or corn bread (Bukë misri) are ever-present on the Albanian table. Hence the expression for "going to eat a meal" (Albanian: për të ngrënë bukë) can be literally translated as "going to eat bread." 'Bread' is also used in the authentic Albanian hospitality saying of "bread, salt, and heart" (Alb.: bukë, kripë e zemër).
Chicken livers
Eggplant appetizers
Dollma
Panaret, famous among Arbereshe
Stuffed Peppers (green peppers stuffed with rice, meat, other vegetables and herbs)
Pickled cabbage (Turshi lakre)
Fried sardines with lemon (sardele me Limon)
Albanian-style meze platters that include prosciutto ham, salami and feta cheese, accompanied with roasted bell peppers (capsicum) or green olives marinated in olive oil with garlic or onions.
Papare: bread leftovers cooked with water, egg, butter, and Gjize (salted curd cheese)

Salads

Albanian potato salad
Albanian tossed salad
Bean salad
Cabbage salad
Tomato and pepper salad

Soups

Tarator is a chilled yogurt and cucumber drink and is popular in the summer months

Bean Jahni soup
Potato and cabbage soup
Soup with lemon
Groshët, famous among Arbereshe
Tarator
Trahana
Shqeto is soup from Lunxheri region of Gjirokaster

Fish

Oven-baked trout (or Ohrid trout) with onions and tomatoes
Baked whiting, carp, mullet or eel with olive oil and garlic

Meat

Tavë kosi, baked lamb and yogurt dish
veal or chicken with walnuts^[1]
Fërgesë of Tirana with veal (also see sataraš)
Fried meatballs or Qofte të fërguara.
Proshute a dry-cured ham
gjiri gic a roasted pig
Kolloface Korçe
Veal with very large lima beans
Harapash, polenta with the intestines of lamb, butter, cheese and corn flour
Paçe - common throughout the country and it is traditionally popular in Albania. Paçe is made with a sheep's, pig's or any cattle's head, boiled until meat comes off easily. It is then stewed with garlic, onion, black pepper, and vinegar. Sometimes a little flour is added to thicken the stew. It makes a hot and hearty winter stew.

Vegetables

Dollma (in Serbia known as Sarma and in South Eastern Montenegro known as Japrak) — a family of stuffed vegetable dishes
Baked leeks
Fërgesë of Tirana with peppers
Peppers stuffed with rice, meat and vegetables
Stuffed aubergines with cheese

Pies

Byrek — Albanian vegetable pie; it can also have feta cheese, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, or meat; it's a layered pie made with filo pastry. Another version of the fillings is served as a filling for "pite" or "pita".
Kungullur — Pastry layers filled with mashed pumpkin, butter, salt or sugar
Bakllasarëm — A traditional food prepared in Kosovo and Albania: it's layered pie also known as "pite" or "pita" (Byrek) without anything inside, which is covered with yogurt and garlic, and then heated again. It is eaten for lunch.
Flia — A traditional food prepared in Kosovo and Albania.
Qumeshtore
Pepeq
Shaprak
Qollopita
Lakruar is similar to burek however, it has layers of filo dough with onion, olive oil, eggs. It is specialty of South regions in Lunxheri

Desserts

Patisseries are present in every Albanian city. The most common desserts in Albania are made throughout the Balkans:

Hallvë
Revani me sherbet
Hasude (Revani me niseshte)
Tambëloriz
Shëndetlie me mjaltë
Kabuni
Kanojët, also known as Cannoli

Krem Karamel
Tollumba — fried dough pieces in syrup
Gliko and fruit jams
Pandispan
Të plotit
Dhiple
Bakllava
Sunxhuk Mjalte me ara
Karkanaqe (Biskota te Shkrifeta)
Llokume

Drinks

Mineral water is one of the most preferred non-alcoholic drinks in Albania, along with carbonated beverages. Some of these are produced locally and some are imported.

Carbonated and mineral waters
Milk
Yogurt (Kos)
Mountain tea (Çaj Mali)
Various fruit juices and soft drinks
Albanian buttermilk (Dhallë)
Beer (local Birra Tirana, Birra Korça and Birra Puka)
Boza
Raki
Cognac (local Konjak Skënderbeu)
Albanian wine

References

^ Elli's veal or chicken with walnuts

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