10 Most Popular Foods in Albania

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If you are a wanderlust and love traveling and trying out new food, you must add Albania to your bucket list. This country has some delicious cuisines that people can’t resist trying. People in Albania are known for their fancy restaurants and wonderful street foods. We have provided the 10 most popular foods in Albania that everybody must try in the following paragraphs.

1. Byrek

Breyk is one of the most popular Albanian cuisines. This cuisine is a salty pie. It is prepared with filo pastry. This dish has different varieties, and the most famous types are byrek with spinach, byrek with meat, and gjiz cheese. You can eat this cuisine in different spots around the country, including bars, pastry shops, food trucks, etc.

Recipe for byrek

2. Fergese (Fërgesë verore me speca dhe domate)

This traditional Albanian food is made with garlic, tomato sauce, green peppers, and cottage cheese. Fergese is also called the summer stew, and that’s because most people choose to eat it after it gets cold. You can eat this dish with bread. Dip a toasted bread inside fergese and then eat it.

Recipe for fergese

3. Qumeshtor

Qumeshtor is a traditional baked custard. It is made of flour, sugar, butter, milk, and egg. The orthodox population normally prepares this cuisine before Lent starts. Once baked, the dish is cut into different portions.

Recipe for Qumeshtor

4. Tarator

Tarator is an appetizer made of Greek yogurt. It is usually used before cuisines made of meat. It is a summer appetizer and is served when the tarator gets cold. Besides, it also includes shredded cucumber, salt, and cold water. Tarator has soup-like consistency. So, it is better to serve it in a bowl.

Recipe for tarator

5.Jani Me Fasule

Jani me fasule is a soup made of white beans. This traditional Albanian has different types based on the region. The name may also vary, but the main idea is the same. The white beans are soaked overnight before preparing the soup.

Recipe for jani me fasule

6. Tave Kosi

Tave Kosi is one of the most loved Albanian foods by the locals. It is found almost everywhere around the country. This food is prepared with a combination of yogurt, lamb, and eggs. In most areas, it is also served with rice.

Recipe for tave kosi

7. Ashure

Ashure is another popular dessert in Albania; however, it has been originated in Turkey. It is also served cold like most of the other dishes described above. It is widely available in pastry stores around the country.

Recipe for ashure

8. Shapkat

Shakpat is a corn pie casserole. It is filled with spinach, feta cheese, and dill. Other ingredients in the recipe include green onions, milk, cornflour, and olive oil. Once shapkat bakes, it changes its color to a golden brown. Then, it is served with yogurt.

Recipe for shapkat

9. Trilece

Trilece also has Turkish origin. This sweet dish is also known as the milk cake. It is prepared with a combination of three different types of milk. It is topped with highly sweet brown syrup. However, its consistency varies based on how much butter you add to the recipe.

Recipe for trilece

10. Flija

Flija falls somewhere between cake and pie. It is a layer of pancakes. It is made of two different mixtures. The first mixture is prepared for batter and the other one for filling. The batter is filled in layers with gaps of triangle shape.

Recipe for flija

Sources:

The Culture Trip

Nomad Paradise

Taste Atlas