Photo: Contiki
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So, you’ve heard Albania is all the rage (it really is), and you’re planning a beautiful summer there but you’re wondering what kind of delicious bites you’ll be treated to there. What’s Albanian food like? What are the core flavours? Do they have any special or traditional dishes?
You’ve come to the right place. We’ve recently become experts on the matter, actually, and our Albania Beaches and Peaks will take you around the country showcasing some of Albania’s best bites. Without further ado, let’s dig right into all things Albanian food (pun intended)!
Is Albanian food similar to Greek?
Like Greece, Albania is located on the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and as such, both country’s cuisine shares Mediterranean styles and flavours. You’ll find many fresh ingredients like olives (and of course glugs of olive oil), crumbly feta cheeses, crispy vegetables, and a mix of fish and meat. If you’re a lover of tzatziki and gyros, you’re going to love Albanian food – trust us.
Albanian food also pulls from Turkish influences, with many rice dishes and spices, as well as meat stews and fresh yoghurt complementing most things!
The specific diet of the country can change depending on where you are specifically. Expect more seafood based dishes if you’re staying on the coast, and perhaps more hearty meat dishes inland.
Image source:Contiki
Is Albanian food good for vegeterians?
Though meat and fish are quite a staple in Albanian cuisine, many vegetarian dishes exist, and it’s quite easy to make vegetarian variations of traditional Albanian meals!
If you’re vegan you may not be able to enjoy as many traditional dishes given the common use of dairy products like yoghurt, but that’s not to say vegan options don’t exist. Qifqi (rice balls with spinach and herbs), Plaki (a tomato and bean stew), and Speca te Mbushur me Oriz (stuffed bell peppers) are all great options that vegans and vegetarians alike can enjoy.
What is Albanian breakfast?
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as we all know, so how do the Albanian locals do it? It’s quite simple really.
Albanian breakfasts can be sweet or savoury – or both! If you’re opting for a sweet breakfast, you’ll be served bread with butter and jams, as well as yoghurt with fruit and honey, some nuts, and your drink of choice! If you’d prefer something more savoury, bread and butter and cheese is a great option, and you can nibble on some olives as well.
Coffee, tea, and raki are the traditional breakfast drinks (this seems to be a universal thing!). Raki is Albania’s national drink and it’s actually a fruit brandy made from grapes or plums and has an anise flavour. Drinking this for breakfast will definitely put some pep in your step!
Best Albanian food
So, now that you’re well acquainted with Albanian food, let’s get into some of the best dishes, shall we?
Mains
1. Byrek
Perhaps the most iconic of Eastern European foods, Byrek (and variations of it) can be found in many of Albania’s neighbouring countries. A pie made up of many layers of phyllo dough and filled with any combination of meat, spinach, feta cheese, tomato and onions, etc. this is the ultimate Albanian dish because it’s warm, filling, flaky, and delicious.
2. Tavë Kosi
Tavë Kosi is a national dish in Albania, and it’s a really unique one as well! Essentially, it’s lamb and rice baked with a yoghurt and egg based roux, creating a creamy and warm rice dish. It sounds a little odd, and honestly doesn’t look that appealing, but the truth is this is a dish enjoyed by Albanians all around and for very good reason – it’s amazing. The spice levels are generally quite mild, though you can of course tailor this to your preferences.
Tavë Kosi is often enjoyed for lunch in Albania. In keeping with the Mediterranean diet, lunch tends to be the biggest meal of the day, not dinner or breakfast, so it follows that this robust meal is enjoyed in the middle of the day.
3. Qofte
If there’s one thing cuisines around the world have in common is the need for pocket food and ‘ball food’. What do you mean? you might be thinking, but think about it: pocket foods are like dumplings, gyozas, and ravioli, and ‘ball foods’ are arancini, onigiri, and qofte!
Qofte are Albania’s answer to the need for ‘ball foods’ and, simply put, they’re meatballs. Made with mince meat (either lamb or beef, or a mix), various herbs and spices, as well as eggs and bread. These meatballs are pan-fried and make for the perfect side dish to any meal, especially when you dip them into a creamy feta and mint sauce.
4. Qifqi
Not a meat eater? No worries, Albania has another ‘ball food’ for you in the form of qifqi which are fried rice balls filled with spinach and many other herds. The rice is actually boiled in olive oil which gives it a rich flavour, before it’s mixed with egg and rolled into a ball. They’re pan-fried as well and become oh so crispy, making them the perfect side dish in lieu of qofte.
5. Fërgesë
Another Albanian national dish, fërgesë is a brightly coloured red bell pepper and tomato stew which can be left as a vegetarian meal, or have meat (usually chicken liver) added to it. Traditionally baked in clay dishes, this is a warm dish with plenty of spice coming from paprika and chilli flakes, and a dash of creaminess from feta or cottage cheese and greek yoghurt.
Served as either a main dish or a side, we recommend dipping your bread into this to wipe the plate clean.
6. Tarator
In life, you fall into one of two camps: cold soup lovers and cold soup haters. If you’re the former, then this Albanian food is for you. Tarator is a traditional Albanian cold soup served in the blazing summers to help keep you cool. Fresh is the main adjective used to describe tarator as it’s basically tzatziki soup made with yoghurt and cucumber with flecks of mint and a golden drizzle of olive oil.
A version of this soup exists where slices of fried or grilled zucchini are added as a toppy, which can give the meal a little more substance.
7. Grilled fish and meat
Not so much a dish but a general way of cooking, most meats and fishes included in Albanian food are grilled. It’s the superior way of cooking really, especially when you’re afforded the luxury of doing it outside in the gorgeous sunny Albanian weather.
Any and all fish and meat can be placed on the grill and given those appetising grill marks. Oftentimes, fish in Albania is cooked head to tail, and favourites include snapper, branzino, and other Adriatic fish. In terms of meat, the favoured meats in Albania are lamb and beef, and these cuts are served on platters accompanied by potatoes and other assortments of vegetables – perfect for chilly winter evenings or friendly gatherings.
8. Albanian Fasule
Fasule is a navy bean soup and a totally vegetarian meal. The main ingredient is white beans, or navy beans, which is where you’ll be getting most of your protein from. Vegetables like bell pepper and carrots are added, as well as tomato paste and paprika to give it colour and spice.
You can of course add meat to this soup if you wish, and popular options include sausage, dried meats, or classics like lamb or beef shanks. Perfect for a winter’s day, fasule will fill you right up with warmth and energy.
9. Stuffed vegetables
Another vegetarian option on this list of best Albanian foods is simply stuffed vegetables! This dish can really vary because you can make it with whatever vegetable you prefer as long as it’s big enough to be filled with rice and seasonings. Bell peppers are common choices, as well as eggplants, zucchini, and cabbage leaves.
Stuffed and rolled grape leaves are also a delicious version of this food, and you can find variations of this around the Mediterranean coast dripping with olive oil.
10. Flija
Similar to the byrek, flija is a dish made up of layers of phyllo dough but this time it is filled with a creamy centre and baked slowly. Where a byrek is rolled and baked all in one go, flija is layered a few layers at a time with separate baking times. It can be a bit of a time consuming meal to make, but once you pull the finished crispy and creamy thing out of the oven you’ll know it was all worth it.
This dish is usually consumed during special family or friendly gatherings, and large life events like weddings.
Desserts
1. Petulla
Fried dough. That’s it, and doesn’t it sound delicious? Petulla are round puffs of light and airy fried dough that can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a little afternoon snack or a dessert. Whenever you want, really! Drizzle a little bit of honey over them for some extra sweetness, and voilà.
2. Albanian baklava
Baklava is a classic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dessert and one taste is not enough. This is a layered pastry made with flaky phyllo pastry and filled with chopped nuts like pistachios and drenched in honey or syrup to give it sweetness and a beautiful sheen. This is a dessert that’s been since the Ottoman Empire and it’s no surprise why it’s stood the test of time: it’s amazing!
3. Revani cake
A really gorgeous Albanian dessert is Revani cake which is a golden spongy cake soaked in sweet syrup and topped with candied lemon slices or chopped nuts. Sometimes with desserts simplicity is key, and Revani cake is light and fluffy without being too sweet or overpowering. It’s the perfect way to end any Albanian meal.
4. Hashure
Another dessert inherited from the Ottoman Empire, hashure is a grain or rice pudding. It’s sort of like oatmeal or overnight oats: it has that same thick consistency and it’s very filling. Usual toppings include chopped nuts and cinnamon, though you can add virtually anything you like. It works really well as a breakfast option as well, though traditionally this is not when hashure would be eaten.
5. Sheqerpare cookies
The Albanian name for these cookies can be broken down into two parts: ‘sheqer’ which means sugar, and ‘pare’ which means money. So, these cookies are also known as sweet money or sweet coins. And they are absolutely worth gold.
Similar to shortbread cookies, sheqerpare are small and round golden brown medallions of goodness. They’re light and buttery, and soaked in sweet syrup and topped with half a roasted walnut for an extra bit of flavour and crunch. These cookies are usually served alongside tea and are a true staple of Albanian food.
Drinks
1. Raki
Raki is Albania’s national drink and it is a very particular one. It’s a grape and plum brandy which is clear, and it has a strong anise taste. It’s definitely on the stronger side of things, but it’ll warm you right up and can be enjoyed any time of day with any meal – no judgement!
2. Albanian wine
Albania has the perfect weather for wineries. In fact, visiting a winery and tasting Albanian wine is one of the top things you should do in Albania! Wine production in Albania is said to date back thousands of years and there are plenty of local grape varieties to try. Kallmet and Shesh are two of the most popular varieties, so if you can get your hand on a bottle (or a glass) you must.
Image source:Contiki
3. Dallë / Dhalla
The perfect drink for those who are taking on Albania one walking tour at a time, Dhalla is a drink meant to replenish your electrolytes and lend you strength when the weather is particularly hot. It’s a simple mix of water, yoghurt, and a pinch of salt, which is an interesting combination to say the least – but don’t knock it until you try it! You’ll never know when you need that second wind.
4. Caj Mali (mountain tea)
Tea, like in many cultures, is a very popular drink in Albania, and one variation comes from the mountains. It’s called caj mali, or just mountain tea, and it comes from a leaf that grows on the mountainside of all Albanian regions. The tea is sweet and smooth with notes of minty and sage flavours – perfect for a mid-afternoon break to recap and refresh.
