We present to your attention material on the Albanian official publication for foreign countries “Albanian Gastronomy”, published by the Albanian Tourism Agency (Agjencia Kombëtare e Turizmit) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country in English, Albanian, Italian, French, German and Russian in 2017. The first of its kind since Albania's liberation from communist rule in 1991, the multilingual brochure published in the country introduces Albanian cuisine in some detail.

Let us note that Albanian cuisine is not only products made from sheep’s milk and meat, as a result of the country’s beloved sheep breeding, but, among other things, there is also a wide variety of excellent vegetables and fruits in the Albanian cuisine, which is not surprising for a country with such favorable agricultural conditions. climate, and much more. Note also that as of 2017, 47.8% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector of Albania, and 24.31% of the country's territory is used for agricultural purposes. Agriculture provides 18.9% of Albania's GDP.

Cover of the Russian-language edition of the Albanian official publication for foreign countries cited here, Albanian Gastronomy, published by the Albanian Tourism Agency (Agjencia Kombëtare e Turizmit) in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in English, Albanian, Italian, French, German and Russian in 2017

Note that the mention of eagles on the cover of the brochure refers to the legend that the self-name of the country Shqipëri comes from the word “eagle”.

And now to the above-mentioned publication about Albanian cuisine - “Albanian gastronomy” (the citation is given from the Russian-language edition, however, we made stylistic and clarifying edits to the text of the Russian translation, checking it against the English and Albanian editions of this Albanian publication). In addition, we have supplemented the text with notes. Albanian publication writes:

“The tradition of Albanian cuisine, as well as the traditional hospitality of the Albanian people, dates back to ancient times.

As one of the most ancient countries in Europe, Albania serves as the border between East and West, and has traces of both cultures and culinary arts - eastern and western.

The country's favorable climatic conditions create the opportunity to grow almost all types of agricultural products. Albania has a particularly large variety of vegetables and fruits, which are daily consumed food, both in their natural state and in canned form.

Favorite vegetables of Albanians are: tomatoes (domatet), peppers (specat), eggplants (patëllxhanët), okra (bamjet, or edible abelmosh, herbaceous plant - acts as a salad, side dish or dressing for soups, okra is also preserved Note site), potatoes (patatet), cabbage (lakrat), onions (qepët), garlic (hudhrat) , beans, beans (fasulet), cucumbers (trangujt), etc. According to Albanian culinary tradition, vegetables are most often fried, boiled or pickled.

The most popular vegetable in Albanian cuisine is beans (fasulet).. Cooking beans in clay pots adds flavor to them. Beans are used to prepare both individual dishes and dishes with beans and other vegetables or meat, and in some areas the beans are used to make the pie burek (byrek). Delicious dishes are also prepared with peas and green beans in Albanian cuisine.

In an illustration from the Albanian publication “Albanian Gastronomy” quoted here:

Stuffed beef spleen.

It can be said that along with the refined influence of the East (Ottoman Empire, first of all) and the West (for example, Italy), quite coarse dishes continue to be common in Albanian cuisine, coming from the extremely simple past of the inhabitants of this now rapidly developing country.

The publication we quoted writes (for more details, see below, in the section on the cuisine of central Albania): “The use of the entrails of cattle and sheep to prepare various dishes and snacks is a tradition... A plate of fried ox liver, kidneys and heart, fried or baked The head of lamb combined with grape brandy rakia will impress anyone with its unique taste.”

Some products are prepared using similar technology, although from a different set of products. Thus, individual dishes are highlighted that are present on the tables of all Balkan peoples, such as fergesa - fërgesat (meat baked with seasonings and pickled cheese Note site), marinades, and also grape leaves with some kind of filling (dolma), steaks (bifteku), chops (bërxollat), meatballs(qoftet) etc.

Marinades, moussaka (musakaja, a dish made from layers of eggplant with beef or lamb. Note site) and kefte are food products that are adapted in Albanian cuisine from oriental cuisine. All types of dishes in Albania are characterized by the fact that they preserve as much as possible the natural characteristics of the food products used, their color and aroma.

Olives are a particularly favorite vegetable in Albanian cuisine., which are prepared in different ways and are preferably served separately, as well as in addition to many other dishes. Olives, which are cultivated in the Berat area, are usually served separately. They are low in fat. Olive groves around the city of Vlora, the coast of Himara, Borsh, and the suburbs of the Albanian capital Tirana - Preza and Ndroq, have a high fat content and are therefore used to obtain olive oil, which is consumed both locally and supplied throughout the country.

Different spices play a big role in enhancing the taste of dishes. Albanian cuisine is characterized by the use of chili peppers, spices, sour lemon juice, pepper, vinegar or yogurt. The spicy flavor in traditional dishes, ranging from a subtle level to a spicy-hot level, comes from the use of garlic or chili peppers. Albanian cuisine also favors local seasonings such as parsley, peppermint or mint, dill, bay leaves, basil, celery, oregano, rosemary, etc. Mixing various spices and herbs in one dish is not typical for Albanian cuisine. For each food, there is a preference for one spice that best matches the natural flavor of the main dish. The amount of spices used is determined according to regional customs and individual tastes, so their quantities are not reflected in recorded recipes.

Healthy and popular in Albanian cuisine are milk (qumësht), dairy products and eggs (vezët), which are considered everyday foods. Kefir is an essential protein product with great biological value, and is distinguished in Albania by its very good quality and taste. Kefir is consumed separately and as an additional ingredient for making pies and sweets.

Another by-product of milk in Albanian cuisine is buttermilk (dhalla), which is enjoyed at any time of the year, especially on hot summer days.

Cheese (djathi) is divided into different types depending on the type of milk from which it is produced. The famous white cheese (brynza), especially that produced in the south of the country from sheep's milk, occupies a special place in Albanian cuisine.

There is also a variety of desserts in Albanian cuisine. Desserts with milk, cream, thick fruit mass - sherbet - baklava (bakllava), sheqerpare (sheqerpare), kadaif - (kadaif), hashuret (hashuret), sytliashi (sultiash - cold mass of rice with milk and sugar, with cinnamon Note... Among baked goods, a prominent place is occupied by sweet and savory muffins prepared with yeast dough, burek (salty pie), donuts, etc. Popular among desserts are halva and hasudja - hasudja (hasude, also fasude - something like marmalade with nuts Note website).

Boza is a popular drink that is produced mainly in the north, in the city of Kukes, from corn, and is widely consumed as a soft drink during the summer (Albanian boza is a soft drink, now that Western drinks have appeared in Albania soft drinks - Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola, not as common as in the past (Note website).

The great abundance of fruits in some seasons of the year makes them preferred as a dessert in Albanian cuisine, mainly fresh, but also in the form of compote, juice or jam.

Favorite fruits in Albania: apples (mollët), cherries (qershitë), peaches (pjeshkat), pears (dardhat), watermelons (shalqinjtë), melons (pjepri), figs (fiqtë), grapes (rrushi), lemons (limonët), oranges (portokallet), apricots (kajsitë). Hard-shelled fruits such as walnuts (arrat), almonds (bajamet), hazelnuts (lajthitë), chestnuts (gështenjat) are enjoyed on their own, but they are also used to make sweets.

Albanian alcoholic drinks

Albania has a long tradition in the production of alcoholic beverages. The traditional alcoholic drink is rakia, which is obtained as a result of the production of grapes. Well known is brandy, which is produced industrially from grapes in the area of ​​Skrapari and Permeti, in the south of the country. In areas with cold climates, the production of brandy from plums (shliva) is well known., for example, in Dibra, Korça and Pogradec.

Albania has a very old tradition of viticulture and wine production. The art of winemaking in Albania has been known since ancient times. Wine production flourished on the southwestern shores of the Balkan Peninsula three thousand years ago.

The Illyrians (Illyrians are the ancestors of the Albanians, Illyria is the ancient name of modern Albania. Note site) had a long tradition in growing grapes and wine products. Archaeological discoveries in Lin (Pogradec), Tepe (in Elbasan) and Zgerdhesh (in Kruje), where various containers used for wine were found, indicate how long ago the cultivation of vineyards and wine production were. The ancient Greek geographer Strabo, describing Illyria, says: “This land is warm and fertile, because it is full of olive trees and vineyards. The Illyrians exported wine to Rome, which they kept in wooden containers."

The development of vineyards in Illyria is proven by coins from the ancient city of Dyrrachium (now modern Durres - the second largest city in Albania. Note site) and Apollonia (now ruins west of the Albanian city of Fier. Note site), as well as amphorae used to transport wine, found in the Illyrian burial place of Cimanaka in Kukes, and the Illyrian castle of Dzibri (Matt), as well as in the Illyrian city of Gaitan (Skadar - Shkoder). In the Byzantine Empire (VII - VIII centuries), viticulture was one of the main economic activities, and wine was an important export item (the territory of Albania after the collapse of the Roman Empire was part of Byzantium. Note site).

Today, different varieties of grapes are found in the vineyards of Albania, which contributes to the widespread production of different varieties of wine, red and white. Among the red wines we can note:

— Sheshi and Zi (Tirana-Durres);

— Cabernet and Merlot (Berat, Lushnja, Permet, Vlora, etc.);

— Kallmet (Skadar, Peshkopi);

— PinoNero and Mavrud (Leskovik, Skadar, Lyushnya).

White wines include:

Sheshi and Barhde (Tirana), Riesling (Durres), etc.

It is also necessary to note Skanderbeg cognac, which received awards in international competitions.

Albanian cuisine by region

Cuisine of Northern Albania

In the north of the country, corn is grown on a large scale. Corn flour is used not only for the production of bread, but also for the preparation of various traditional dishes, salty and sweet.

The cold climate of the northern region encourages each family to prepare shelf-stable products, such as dried beef pasterma (mish i tharë), kukurec (liver such as kidneys, lungs and liver mixed with minced meat, fried in foil. Note website), trakhana ( trahana, a soup that spread during the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the preparation of which requires a pre-prepared starter of tomatoes, peppers, onions, mint, dill, spices and yogurt (a special dough is prepared from these ingredients, which is dried and finely crumbled; this mass is prepared in meat broth or water. Note... all these dishes will be consumed during the winter season, and they are produced with one's own hands in any house in the north of the country.

Among the most typical for the northern region, and very healthy, we note, vegetables are beans, potatoes, cabbage, with which various delicious dishes are prepared. Frequently consumed in the region's food culture are onions and garlic. They are tied into strings and left in the sun to dry. This is done in families in mountainous areas to ensure that there is enough onion and garlic all year round.

Traditional dishes of this region include: Birjan Peshkopie (boiled rice in meat broth), Luma pancakes (petulla të Lumës), yufka (jufkat), Gory casserole (tavë e Gorës, dish with lamb meat. Note website) , Kosovo stew (paçe e Kosovës), Gjakova sausage (suxhuk i Gjakovës), harapash (harapaš - corn porridge with young lamb - harapash Note site) or memelik, czechek with chicken (qeshqek me pulë), chervish (çervish), gurabije cookies with corn flour, corn cheesecake (qumështor me miell misri), haxhimakulle pastries, etc. The cuisine of the city of Skadar (Shkodra) occupies a special place in the northern regions of the country, where among the most popular dishes one can mention stewed lamb - Skadar çorba shkodrane.

The peculiarity of this area is the presence of fresh and salt water bodies, and as a result, a well-known fishing tradition dating back to the Illyrian period. The region is distinguished not only by the great abundance of fish in local waters, but also by traditional recipes for its preparation. The most notable recipes are those with carp (krapi), baked mullet (qefulli), stewed eel, dried saraga, etc.

A favorite dish in Albania is also eggplant (patëllxhanët), prepared according to a traditional recipe, stuffed with cheese, parsley and egg, which, due to its special taste, is always present on the table on the occasion of family holidays.

In this part of Albania we cannot fail to mention the Kune-Vainit Nature Reserve near the town of Lezhë and the lagoons around it, which are rich in waterfowl and wild animals such as ducks (rosa), geese (pata), woodcocks, pheasants (fazanë), cormorants, wild rabbits (lepuri i egër), etc. Hunting them is very common due to the delicious meat of these birds and animals, which can be tasted in restaurants in this area.

The climate is suitable for growing fruit trees, allowing the cultivation of the characteristic plums of the Dibrës region, apple trees, cherries, chestnuts, nuts, etc. This made possible the production of brandy from plums (shliva), as well as the production of jam. A special fruit in northern Albania is the pomegranate (shega) of Skadar (Shkoder), with large grains, juicy and sweet.

Cuisine of Central Albania

In the illustration from the Albanian publication “Albanian Gastronomy” cited here: an image of tavë kosi elbasani - casserole with meat and yogurt. This dish is the national dish of Albania, and is named after the city of Elbasan. Usually the dish is prepared from young lamb with rice and yogurt, but sometimes from chicken. In this case, it is called tavë kosi me mish pule - i.e. “Yoghurt Casserole in a Pot with Chicken.”

In the forest of Divjakës (Divjakës, Divjaka is a seaside town in Central Albania. Note website), which stretches along the Adriatic Sea, birds live freely - geese, ducks and animals - wild boars. Fishing is very common in this area, as it is possible to catch fish that migrate from the sea, such as perch, eel and mullet. To catch it, nets are installed in the canals connecting the lagoon to the sea.

Domestic and foreign tourists who come to experience the relaxing nature of this area, even for a day, cannot help but try the variety of fresh fish dishes served in the local restaurants.

The climate and soil in this area allow the cultivation of all types of vegetables and fruits that can be found on shelves throughout the country. Special fruits of this zone include thana (thana, or common dogwood Cornus mas) and nespulla (nespulla, Japanese medlar, otherwise Eriobotrya japonica - it came to Europe from Asia in the 19th century, a plant of the apple family).

Among the traditional dishes of this region can be mentioned: casserole of meat and yoghurt from Elbasan - tavë kosi elbasani (tavë kosi elbasani - casserole with meat and yoghurt. This dish is a national dish in Albania, and is named after the city of Elbasan. Usually the dish is prepared from young lamb with rice and yoghurt, but sometimes from chicken... In this case, it is called tavë kosi me mish pule - i.e. “casserole with yoghurt in a pan with chicken” Note site), fërges (Tirana) - fërgesë Tirane (casserole made from paprika, tomatoes and pickled cheese, can also be baked with veal. Note website), Burek pie (byrek) - byrek me petë të pjekura, turkey with kulesh - kaposh deti me përshesh (kulesh - a type of porridge Note website), biryan with rice and milk(Ushmer) - birjan me qumësht e oriz, etc.

Among the traditional sweets of the region, we note ballokumet e elbasanit cookies, which are characteristic of the city of Elbasan. Such cookies are prepared with great skill by housewives in this area, especially on the occasion of the celebration of Summer Day - March 14 (the holiday is dedicated to the awakening of nature from winter sleep. Since 2004, Summer Day has been considered an official national holiday in Albania. Note .. Ballokume is used to prepare cookies, in in particular, finely sifted white cornmeal, butter, sugar, eggs.

Using the innards of cattle and sheep to prepare various dishes and snacks is a tradition in the cuisine of this region. A plate of fried ox liver, kidneys and heart, fried or baked lamb's head combined with grape brandy rakia will impress anyone with its unique taste.

These parts of Albania are characterized by the production of brandy - rakia, various types of wine, and fruit juices and compotes, as well as jams.

The Berat area has the largest fig tree plantations in the Balkans and therefore the locals have a long tradition of making fig preserves, jam and fig marmalade (gliko). Proshniku ​​(Berat) figs - fiqtë e Rroshnikut are worthy of mention for their high quality. They are dried by hanging them in garlands and then eaten just like that. Fig bread known as buk fiket is also popular.

Located in Central Albania, the Myzeqeje valley is famous for its turkey breeding, and as a result is famous for its preparation of turkey in kulesh, or otherwise turkey in wheat or corn porridge (kaposh deti Myzeqeje). In general, this traditional dish is prepared throughout the country, but in this area it is prepared best, and visitors to the area can enjoy the taste of the dish in local restaurants.

Cuisine of Southern Albania

Albania is known as a pastoral country, and in the southern part of the country small ruminants (sheep and goats) are raised through extensive breeding (i.e. based on natural feed) and on natural pastures. These species, bred in Southern Albania, form the basis of raw materials for the production of dairy products. The production of dairy by-products is characteristic of the cuisine of this area, especially true of Gjirokastra and Delvinë, which are famous for the production of various types of soft and hard cheeses of high quality with unsurpassed taste.

Note that the above range of dairy products, as well as a by-product of milk or yoghurt - cottage cheese (gjiza), occupies an important place in the food menu of the Albanian population not only in the southern part of the country, but also in Central Albania and beyond. This area of ​​Albania is famous for its fermented milk product (kosin e deles), which can be translated as sheep's milk yogurt, which is so thick that you can even cut it with a knife.

The climate in the coastal part of this area of ​​Albania is conducive to the cultivation of citrus and olives. In every family and restaurant in this area, olives are served as a starter in the form of a salad or in combination with other vegetables.

This region of Albania is also famous for the production of rakia and wine from different grape varieties, which are grown in Nartë, Skrapar, Përmet, Himarë, Leskovik, Pogradec, Delvinë. During random excavations in the village of Labovë near the city of Gjirokastra, two large stones in the shape of a trough were found, which were used as grape presses, where the narrow mouth of the stone trough served as a channel for the removal of the resulting liquid, which was then processed into wine or brandy. This find testifies to the tradition of grape processing in ancient times, when wine was drunk instead of water.

The region of Pogradec (Pogradeci) is famous for the artisanal production of wine or brandy. Almost every house here produces wine, making it according to recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. The wine is kept in barrels in the coldest rooms in the house. Pogradec wine is sparkling and slightly aromatic, table wine. In addition to the production of alcoholic beverages, Scrapari has a well-known tradition of producing rehanisë, a non-alcoholic drink made from grape juice.

This region of the country has a strong tradition of producing marmalade (gliko) from various types of fruit, which is especially evident in the town of Permet, where nut marmalade is produced. Another feature of this area is the production of alcoholic drinks from mulberries - mulberry brandy and koçimare in Ersek and Leskovik.

In the southwestern part of the country is the Albanian Riviera (Riviera Shqiptare - the Albanian coast of the Ionian Sea, with steep banks, it starts north of Saranda and ends at the Logara Pass ( 1027 m) south of Vlora, where the Albanian coast of the Adriatic Sea begins. In Albania it is also known under the name “bregu” - “shore” Note. site), where the combination of clean mountain air and warm sea make it a real tourist pearl. We love this region of the country not only for its wonderful climate, but also for its cuisine. In the Riviera along the coast, numerous restaurants serve fresh fish and seafood, among the latter it is worth mentioning exquisitely prepared shrimp, cuttlefish, squid and mussels.

The mountain pass of Logara (Qafa e Llogarase, in the Keraunian massif), which is the only land passage to the Riviera, serves as a rest stop where tourists can enjoy typical cuisine of the area, such as skewered meat, a warm plate of corn porridge Harapash and lamb meat, jelly with honey and nuts and other traditional dishes.

The meat produced in this area is the most delicious in the entire country. The proximity to the sea and the quality of the pastures give an unsurpassed taste to the meat, especially the lamb of Karaburuni (Karaburuni, a peninsula in Albania) and the surrounding mountainous areas. A whole lamb is roasted on a spit over coals or in an oven. Characteristic of the cold (mountainous) zones of this region of Albania is a dish called pasterma - dried preserved meat, which is cooked with beans. Pastema is prepared and consumed not only in homes, but also in restaurants. Other traditional dishes are especially loved by vegetarians, because... they do not contain meat: rice meatballs (qifqi); lakrori Lunxhit pie, pilaf me rosnica, petanik me fasule (bean pie, or, otherwise, burek from the city of Korça), mock meatballs with garlic and yogurt, which are served as the final dish at weddings in the city of Gjirokastra, in order to better digest the food.

Recipe: Meatballs with rice (qifqi)

One kilogram of rice requires 5 to 6 eggs; Boil the cleaned, washed rice in salted water until it becomes dry. Next, stirring with a wooden spoon, leave the rice to cool slightly. Then, one by one, throw in the eggs, add peppermint, ground black pepper and salt. Using a spoon, we select portions of the resulting mixture, corresponding to one meatball, and fry them in olive oil in a frying pan with holes,” writes the official Albanian publication dedicated to the cuisine of Albania.

This review was prepared by the website of the Albanian official publication for foreign countries “Albanian Gastronomy”, published by the Albanian Tourism Agency (Agjencia Kombëtare e Turizmit) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country in English, Albanian, Italian, French, German and Russian languages ​​in 2017 .. The material of the Albanian brochure is presented on the site, mainly from the Russian-language edition, but the translation from the source was stylistically corrected and clarified by us according to the English-language and Albanian editions of the publication, and was also provided with notes and refinements specifically specified in the text.

In Albania you can try traditional national cuisine, classic Central European (Italian is widely represented) and, of course, Mediterranean (seafood, seafoot). National cuisine includes:

• Stewed beef "Chomlek";
• Stuffed cabbage rolls with lemons and tomatoes "Sarma" (Dolma);
• Stewed meat with potatoes and vegetables "Gyuvech";
• Type of sausage, "Sudzhuk";

Albanians love meat and vegetables very much. The main meat in terms of meat quality is veal mish viçi. Next comes the lamb mish qengji. It’s almost impossible to buy mish derri pork in cafes, but stores have it without any problems. Chicken (pule) is also used very often. Popular meat (vegetable) dishes in Albania:

• beef stew – “farges”;
• roast beef in fermented milk sauce - “rosto-mi-salche-kozi”;
• lamb with yoghurt - “tave-kozi and tave-elbasani”;
• sheep liver stuffed with vegetables and meat - “kukurech”;
• a dish of fried meat, liver, eggs and tomatoes - “fergesa-tyrant”;

The meat is served with pilaf rice and a variety of greens.

Soups in Albania are fish (Supë peshku) and vegetable (Supе me perime), you can also find cold Tarator soup.

Fish also takes pride of place in local cuisine. In Albania you can try both freshwater and sea fish. Freshwater fish is prepared where it is found (surroundings of the city of Shkoder, Lake Ohrid, Lake Skadar, numerous rivers). The main types of freshwater fish: carp, eel, trout. The movement of fish is not common in Albania. Sea fish is prepared in all restaurants along the coast. Sea fish is prepared traditionally and used in daily dishes. The most common fish are Levrek (sea bass or sea bass) and Kots (dorado or sea crucian).

In all restaurants on the coast you can taste all the other gifts of the Ionian and Adriatic seas: mussels, squid, octopus, shrimp, oysters, crabs, lobsters and other delicacies. At very ridiculous prices, compared to neighboring Italy.

Dessert usually includes oshaf (dried fruits), sweet rice cakes, honey and candied fruit cakes, fruit juices and syrups, wheat pudding (ashure), and cinnamon rice pudding (sultyash).

Fruits in Albania are consumed all year round, they are used in desserts, mainly in their natural form, and they are also prepared into compotes, jams and canned whole or in the form of juice.

Walnuts, almonds, walnuts, and chestnuts are often consumed not only in their original form, but also baked and boiled.

The country's national alcoholic drink is Rakia (grape brandy). Albanians can drink rakia all day long: before breakfast, before lunch or dinner, or just like that. Everyone prepares rakia at home. A simple device can be bought in any locality.

Albanian wines, although not known on the international market, have good taste and aroma, and prices are low. In terms of quality, white wine is slightly better than red, but this is not for everybody. Today, the number of wine companies in Albania has increased.

Having visited Albania, you can’t help but try the local cognac “Skanderbeg”, which has been awarded prizes at various international exhibitions.

In addition to local alcohol, imported drinks are sold everywhere, including Italian and German beer, Macedonian wines and Greek aniseed vodka "ouzo". The local brewing industry is not far behind. The main brands of Albanian beer are Tirana, Kaon, Korca and Stela.

Albanians' favorite drink is macchiato and espresso coffee. Coffee is drunk always and everywhere, and throughout the day. And they serve it with water. Drinking coffee is the main activity of Albanians. By the way, the coffee here is very strong, much stronger than in other European countries.

Albania generally has a lot of cafes, bars, restaurants with excellent cuisine and surprisingly low prices for Europe. In no other European country will you find a place where you can eat as tasty and inexpensive as in Albania. Tips are usually paid in the amount of 5-10%.

In support of this article, we made a map and also started a forum thread about .. Bon appetit!!!

20 April 2014, 22:15

What kind of beast is Albania? And where is it anyway? Our main associations were directly related to the mysterious country of Albania, whose language was incredibly popular several years ago on the Russian-language Internet.

“Aftar write escho”, “I cried”, “Patstalom” - these were approximately the phrases used by true Albanians, a small diaspora of which now remains in the very remote corners of the blogosphere.

But the sun of virtual Albania has long set, which cannot be said about real Albania. For her, in terms of tourism on the Russian market, everything is still just beginning.

What's on our menu?

When setting off on a long journey, every experienced traveler decides for himself the issue of provisions. Don't get lost! What do Albanians themselves eat? Is there, in exceptional cases, a network catering service, but what about all inclusive? Our beloved and dear...

Italian cuisine in Albania: good old classics

So, fortunately, tourists will not find any McDonald's, Burger Kings or KFC in Albania. This agricultural country can offer 100% excellent products and dishes made from them. We, who switched to cherry tomatoes, if only because they smell like tomatoes, were pleasantly surprised by Albanian vegetables. Everything from the same garden as in childhood.

Frequent flocks of sheep and goats indicate that cheese and homemade yogurt await you. And who needs meat? In coastal cities, you can safely count on fresh seafood. But in general, Albania is a country of meat cuisine. The more different meats at an Albanian wedding, the more successful the holiday.

No one will cook for their guests a dish from a piece of meat that has been in the refrigerator for at least a day; it is considered stale. The same with fish and poultry. It’s the same as insulting a person who cares about you with the best feelings, unless for various reasons you don’t have such a goal in the first place :)

Freshest products

what Albania can really boast of

Therefore, probably the worst thing for a hotel or restaurant owner is the suspicion of serving something stale. The probability of ending up in an Albanian hospital with poisoning is virtually zero. Unless you have an acute allergy, if you inadvertently ate something that is contraindicated for you.

A buffet in a hotel restaurant (or a regular restaurant) will cost you about 10 euros. For this money you get huge portions of literally everything: salad, appetizer, soup, a couple of hot dishes, a side dish, a jug of homemade wine. And finally, dessert (including fruit) as a gift from the establishment. Gentlemen, this is pure destruction!

Meanwhile, Albanians themselves do not eat that much. For them, firstly, they cannot afford it, and secondly, it somehow happened that in Albania they eat thoroughly once a day at lunch or dinner. They hardly serve breakfast (which is reflected in the composition of the hotel breakfast).

On the other hand, you can cheat and order one dish from the menu. But this dish will be so large that it is quite difficult to cope with it alone. It’s also about the naturalness of the products: homemade cream, vegetables, non-hormonal meat - saturation occurs very quickly. The cost is ridiculous - for example, the price of a plate of risotto varies from 250 to 400 Albanian lek. In other words, 2.5 - 4 dollars; 90 - 140 rubles. Fantastic as it is.

Speaking of risotto. This is a very popular dish in Albania, as are pasta and pizza. Direct influence of Italy. Moreover, according to experienced eaters, the seafood risotto in one of the coastal restaurants on the Durres embankment beats the risotto in the Grand Hotel Rimini below the waterline (which likes to show off its famous guest - Federico Fellini). And we happily ate the best pizza in recent times at the Panorama restaurant, located in the town of Kruja.

So you can take note: you can easily find good Italian cuisine in Albania.

As for restaurants not in hotels, I would like to say something about them separately. It’s tempting to call them more of a home tavern (like in Greece or Cyprus). As a rule, the owner of the restaurant is also the head chef. And, of course, the cuisine there is amazing. Dishes with the same names and similar recipes will taste completely different, depending on the restaurant itself and the region (and family recipes inherited from great-great-great-grandmothers).

But we know, we know that you can no longer be surprised by risotto, no matter how delicious it is. Let's talk about local dishes!

For example, you’ve heard enough of the guide and are wandering somewhere around Vlora, dreaming of finally trying the local specialty - burEk with spinach. In fact, a layer cake. Know that an ordinary puff pastry may indeed be waiting for you. In general, do not be mistaken about easily accessible bureks: if the burek is offered under the guise of fast-food, you will not get an unusual experience.

To get a burek you need to go either to a traditional restaurant or on a visit. The fact is that burek is a troublesome undertaking: you need to roll out 40 layers of the thinnest dough, layering them with filling (cheese, tomatoes, meat - whatever). The roll is so thin that after the layers are placed on top of each other, the thickness of the pie does not exceed 5-6 cm. That is, the puff pastry is created by hand. As a reward for this titanic work, you receive delicious food and the title of a good wife and housewife (if you are a woman, of course. However, we dare to suggest that men usually have more important things to do than bureks).

Where are we without nesting dolls?

Thick homemade yogurt with spices and vegetables is also served as a snack - a version of Greek tzatziki. An unusual dish is arapash, semolina with liver. Schumlek - stewed meat with onions and vegetables; sarma - a kind of cabbage rolls. If you feel like it, you can eat a frog - some restaurants serve frog legs. The traditional dessert is oshaf - sweets made from rice with honey.

What will you drink?

It seems that Albania is where avid coffee drinkers settled. All day long, visitors sit at cafe tables and sip a small mug of espresso (since, as the Albanians themselves say, cappuccino is not coffee). Coffee is good everywhere: even in a hotel, even in a remote village. The grains are brought, as a rule, from Italy, but either the water in Albania is very good, or the Albanians know some cunning secret of preparation - you can’t tear yourself away from the cup.

Wines are also common among drinks, many of them home-made - you are unlikely to be able to taste the same wine if you have lunch and dinner in different places. Albania can offer a whole line of local beer. Moreover, in terms of beer production, the country easily gives a head start to neighboring Montenegro.

The favorable climate, proximity to the sea, rich historical past and relationships with neighboring countries have had a huge influence on the diversity and abundance of Albanian cuisine. Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman and Arab cultures mixed here.

Characteristic Products

Food of plant origin

Like any other Mediterranean cuisine, Albanian cuisine is dominated by vegetables. The most popular of them are eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and legumes.

Meat and fish

In Albanian cuisine, lamb meat is widely used, and more precisely, lamb. It is said that the best lambs are raised in the Vlore region. The meat of animals raised on the Karaburun Peninsula near Vlora is considered a special delicacy; it is an unspoiled natural park.

beef, rabbit and chicken meat.

Fish and seafood dishes are also widespread. Sea fish is an everyday dish. Lake fish are mainly trout and carp.

Dairy

Milk and dairy products play a big role in Albanian cuisine. Yogurt is consumed daily by Albanians and is the basis for many sauces and other dishes. Albania also produces cheeses, the most popular of which is white cheese made from sheep's milk.

Spices

The main spices of Albanian cuisine are black pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley, dill, cinnamon, mint, cloves and bay leaves.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Much attention is paid to bread in Albanian cuisine. No meal is complete without white or corn bread. And even the invitation to the table in Albanian is literally translated as “let’s go eat bread.”

Albanians are very fond of burek - flatbread with onions, cheese, meat and spinach as filling. Burek is the national pride of Albanian cuisine. It is prepared from 40 layers of the finest dough, which is rolled out by hand and filled with filling. The dough is so thin that the total height of these 40 layers does not exceed 5-6 cm

Soups

In Albania, soups are conventionally divided into summer and winter. Cold soups are prepared using vinegar, cucumbers, garlic, walnuts, dill and spices. And winter ones are stews, mostly with stewed meat and potatoes.

Tarator is a soup made from sour milk, cucumbers, onions and grated walnuts. Served cold.

Cucumber soup is reminiscent of okroshka.

Main courses

As a rule, the most common dishes characteristic of Balkan cuisine are meat dishes. Albania is no exception. The main dishes here are various variations of stews, kofte, meatballs and various meat broths.

Fried meatballs are usually prepared as follows: minced meat, breadcrumbs, butter, onion, parsley and mint are thoroughly mixed and sprinkled with salt, oregano and pepper. Then roll in flour and fry in hot oil. Served hot with French fries or mashed potatoes.

Another popular dish is stuffed peppers. Peppers are usually stuffed with meat, rice, fried onions, chopped dill and parsley.

Cheese and spinach pie is also very popular.

In Albania you can find many rice dishes. When preparing dishes with rice according to Albanian recipes, it is best to use the basmati variety. It can be fried, boiled, or baked without the rice becoming soggy and starchy in texture. In Albanian cuisine, rice is usually pre-fried for a few minutes in a combination of olive oil and butter before adding spices, and then simmered in meat broth mixed with boiling water.

TAVE KOSI (Tave Kosi) is a traditional Albanian dish, one of the most popular in Albania. It is baked lamb meat with rice and yogurt.

Schumlek - meat stewed with onions and vegetables.

Ferges - veal stew.

Rosto-mi-salche-kozi - roast beef in sour milk sauce.

Kukurech is sheep's liver stuffed with meat and vegetables.

Chomlek is a beef stew.

Fargesa Tirana - fried meat with liver, eggs and tomatoes.

Arapash - liver with semolina.

Salads and snacks

All salads in Albania are made from fresh vegetables. Basically, these are tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and olives, seasoned with salt, olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice.

Dessert

An important part of Albanian cuisine is baking and preparing desserts. Albania is a paradise for those with a sweet tooth. There are countless varieties of baklava, kadaif, and other desserts here.

Baklava is a dessert made from thin dough soaked in honey and stuffed with dried fruits. Legacy of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkish delight - pieces of stewed pumpkin rolled in powdered sugar. Also comes from Turkic cuisine.

Lakror - pastry cakes with a variety of fillings.

Crepe - pancakes.

Petulla - donuts.

Oshaf - sweet rice cakes with honey.

Akullore is a traditional Albanian ice cream with its own unusual taste.

Kabuni is a sweet rice pudding with spices and fruits.

Beverages

In Albania they drink Turkish coffee (cafe turke) or espresso (cafe express), but make it stronger.

Bose is a refreshing drink made from corn.

Rehani is a drink made from grape juice.

Alcohol

Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, Albania is quite strong in grape production and winemaking. Both red and white wines are made here. The most common varieties are Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Calmette, Sangiovese and Riesling.

As in other Balkan countries, the traditional strong alcoholic drink is rakia, which is made from fermented fruit. Typically, grapes and plums are used to produce rakia in Albania. Rakia is usually served with antipasto or feta cheese.

UZO is an anise liqueur of Greek origin, popular in Albania.

The herbal tincture Fernet is traditionally produced in Korça and also deserves attention.

Serving and etiquette

Recipes

Tavë Kosi is one of Albania's favorite traditional dishes. Soft, tender lamb baked with rice, oregano and garlic, under a top of yogurt has the most amazing flavor. And it looks impressive. When making Tave Kozi, the yogurt cap rises above the baking dish and then, as it cools, forms a magnificent…

Šumlek is one of the most popular dishes in Albanian cuisine. Schumlek is a stew of meat (usually beef or big game) with onions and vegetables. Ingredients – Schumlek: Beef – 1 kg, onions – 3 pcs., vegetable oil – 4 tbsp. spoons, black peppercorns - 5-6 pcs., allspice...

I decided to dedicate my first article about Albania to Albanian cuisine. Talk about why Albania pleases the stomach so much and paves the way to the very heart. :-)

After Albanian seafood, you probably won’t want to go to a fish restaurant in Moscow. Firstly, because in Albania the fish and seafood are the freshest. Secondly, because Albania has excellent chefs who know their job. The cooks are usually Albanians who have worked in Italy for many years, so pizza and various types of pasta are common and very tasty in Albania. And thirdly, prices in Albania are on average three to four times cheaper than in any average restaurant in Moscow. For example, a lunch for two with fish or seafood, wine, salad, fried potatoes will cost 2000-3000 lek, i.e. OK. 600-1000 rubles. In this case we are talking about a restaurant.

I have never tried seafood like in Albania anywhere. Here it is worth mentioning mussels in particular. The first time I tried mussels was in Belgium, where this dish cost crazy money, but apart from misunderstanding, this dish did not cause anything in me. So slippery and tasteless. And what's special about them?

And in Albania I eat them with such pleasure that there are no words. I have a favorite place on the coast near Durres, where a portion of mussels is served as a compliment from the establishment. It was there that I tried mussels and realized what their charm was. The whole secret is in the sauce and lemon juice used. A plate of mussels disappears in a matter of minutes. Mussels can be served either in their shells or peeled in batter. Mussels are also added to pasta, risotto, pizza and other dishes. Mussels in Albania are grown on special plantations in the sea, the largest plantation is located in the very south of the country near Butrint. The photo above was taken at the Juvenilja Castelo restaurant in Tirana. It's a little more expensive there than on the coast, the mussels are a little smaller, but the sauce was awesome.

Also worth noting from seafood are shrimp, squid, octopus, they are cooked either on the grill or in batter.

These shrimps and squids were served to us on the Mirror beach (Pasqyra) on the way from Saranda to Butrint.
And we ate this octopus in Saranda. If octopus is cooked correctly, it will be very tasty.

All seafood is always served with lemon. Albanians also sprinkle lemon on their meat; they even add lemon juice to soup along with vinegar. Sometimes the too sour taste of the soup is incomprehensible to Russian tourists; this is a local feature.
In Albania, a wide variety of fish is caught from the sea and served to the table. Most types of fish are low-fat. Lovers of fatty salmon will have to get used to the dry species here. The fish is ready in 5 minutes. You can buy it at the market or in a store and simply fry it at home in a frying pan. In a store or even at the market, they will clean the fish for you (this is included in the purchase price). On average, a fish costs about 800 lek (250-300 rubles), the price depends, as far as I understand, solely on the size of the fish: the larger the fish, the more expensive it is. Also in a fish store you may be offered to cook fish. That is, you go to the store, choose fish or, say, shrimp, they weigh them, you pay, and then at the time you specified, come and pick up the finished, packaged take-out dish. This is convenient for various events at home when you don’t have time to cook yourself.
I’ll probably talk about fish separately one day. You will need to go to the market and arm yourself with a camera, and then work with a dictionary. I didn’t bother myself with translating the names of the fish; I call them the same as the Albanians.
I would like to mention one special type of fish, which in Albania is found only in Lake Ohrid - koran, which is something like trout. Albanians say that on the entire planet this fish is found only in Lake Ohrid and... in Lake Baikal.

This photo was taken in Pogradec last year. I will tell you about the city of Pogradec on Lake Ohrid on occasion in one of the following posts.

In the average Albanian home, however, seafood is not often found. Albanians are meat eaters. The fact that part of the Albanian population (approx. 60%) is Muslim still has a certain influence on the types of meat sold in stores: pork can be found, but it is not very common. The most commonly sold meat is veal, not beef. Dairy calves are slaughtered; the carcass is more similar in size to a lamb than a cow. One day my parents tried to buy beef at the market, because they like juicier and fattier meat. In Albanian, cow is lop. So in the butcher's shop they looked at them with surprise when the parents asked “lop, lopa,” but decided to satisfy their demand by showing them some drumsticks, clearly intended for feeding dogs. In general, any local meat here is young: veal, lamb, pig. Imported meat is cheaper here than local meat ("Mish vendi") because it is of lower quality and is delivered frozen. Local meat is always sold fresh. Typically, a butcher shop buys a whole carcass and sells the carcass in parts until the end of the day. In this regard, I can’t buy my favorite beef tongues. In Albania you will be offered to buy a whole head and only one! :-) Although you can try beef tongue in local restaurants: the tongue is first boiled and then fried in batter. Delicious.
In restaurants, meat is often cooked on the grill, with vegetables, or in clay pots like this.

This is a photo from Kruja.
There are also more democratic places, sort of eateries, where they serve almost nothing except meat. In such places (and even in Albanian homes) a dish called “gjell” is served. This is a meat stew that uses tomato paste in its preparation. Moreover, there is practically no fat, the meat used for cooking is lean.

The dish looks something like this. Vegetables are cooked along with the meat, most often either green peas or simple potatoes. This photo was taken in Leskovik, a small village famous for its wine, which comes in glasses. The wine is homemade, on tap, but the store next door also sells bottled wine. It is semi-dry, with a very pleasant aftertaste. I highly recommend Pino Nero.
Cutlets called “qofte” are also common. They tend to be oblong in shape, like sausages, rather than round and flat, as in Russia.

In tourist areas you can eat popcorn, donuts, fried corn (here it is more often fried than boiled, but it is still soft), ice cream. And the hotel will offer the most standard continental breakfast.


Ice cream on warm waffles from Himara and breakfast at the hotel in Korça.

In Albania you can also try deep-fried frog legs or, for example, roasted hedgehog. For Albanians, these dishes are not traditional, but you can find a place in Albania.