Albanian cuisine
Traditional meal served in an oven-baked clay bowl
Albanian cuisine (Albanian: Kuzhina shqiptare) is the national cuisine of the Albanian people. It is Mediterranean, influenced by many including Greek, 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
Young girls holding bags of sliced bread
- 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 (mëlci pule)
- Eggplant appetizers
- Dollma (Japrak)
- 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
Chestnuts are widely grown throughout Albania
- Albanian potato salad
- Albanian tossed salad
- Bean salad
- Cabbage salad
- Tomato and pepper salad
Soups
- 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
Traditional dish from Hasi Region
- 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
Albanian byrek
- 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
Baklava is prepared on large trays and cut into a variety of shapes
Sheqerpare
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
- Qumështor
- 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
Dhallë is a traditional cold drink made of yogurt and water
Carbonated water is one of the most consumed non-alcoholic drinks in Albania. The most famous brand Glina is sourced from the spring baring the same name. Other common drinks include:
See also
References
Further reading
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cuisine of Albania. |
- Stein, Rick (21 August 2015). "Albanian baked lamb with rice (Tavë kosi)". BBC Food.
- Bittman, Mark (3 November 2011). "René Redzepi, the Prince of Denmark". The New York Times.
- LeBlanc, Tyler (26 December 2014). "Albania Mania: Perfect beaches, mountain hikes and truly local food. Packing yet?". Modern Farmer.
- Levene, David (1 January 2013). "Albania's chestnut, cheese and pasta workers.". The Guardian.
- Traditional Albanian Recipes
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