albanian traditional cuisine

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Albanian

Traditional

Cuisine

Albanian cuisine istype of Mediterraneandiet, known for itshigh nutritive valueand excellent taste

and reflects bothTurkish and Europeaninfluences.

Albania is well knownfor its Scanderbegcognac, mentionedfor its unique flavorand aroma. Vineyardsare widely spreadaround the Albaniancountryside. But themost popular and

traditional of Albanianbeverages is raki.It is usually madefrom grapes, thoughthere are alsoother kinds of rakimade from plums,

mulberries andwalnuts.


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The mild climate is favorable for many agricultural pursuits.The wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown here servesto further enhance this varied fare.


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Albanian

TraditionalCuisine


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Albanian cuisine offers a trulyunique blend of Mediterranean fla-vors. Representing a rich historical

past, the food of modern Albaniahas been developed over millen-nia reflects a variety of influences.East meets west in many discern-able ways throughout Albanian cul-ture, but nowhere is it more evi-

dent than in the cuisine.

The mild climate is favorable formany agricultural pursuits. AmongAlbanias most popular are: pep-pers, eggplants, tomatoes, cucum-

bers, and an assortment of legumes.The wide variety of fruits and vege-tables grown here serves to furtherenhance this varied fare.


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These vegetables are combined with meats in a number of de-lectable ways to form the basis for many Albanian delights. Mostoften, these creations are baked in earthenware or sauted, and

take one of the following forms: stew, casserole, stuffed vegeta-bles, or meatballs. Other types of dishes blend many vegetables(with or without meat), and can be traced to Asian origins.

As in many other Mediterranean countries, olives are a staplein Albania. Although they are most frequently enjoyed on theirown, olives combine with many foods and are an essential ingre-dient in many signature dishes. Types vary by region. Olives fromthe Berat region are prized for their unique flavor and low fatcontent. Olives from Vlora, Borsh, Himara, and Tirana are higherin fat content and are more often used for olive oil production.


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Albanian cuisine also uses a vari-ety of spices to enhance food fla-vors. Garlic and hot peppers are

popular options for flavoring. Oftensubtle, the flavors sometimes arisefrom non-spice ingredients such aslemon, vinegar, and/or yogurt. Al-banian chefs rarely mix spices, in-stead choosing one that harmonizesmost closely with the dishs naturalaroma. Recipes rarely specify quan-tities of spices to be used, recog-nizing that this is a matter to beadjusted based on the other ingre-

dients in the dish.


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Desserts often accompany Albanian dishes, thuscompleting the meal. Often they are made from a vari-ety of creams and fruit juices, and sometimes use local

honey as a sweetener. Baklava, cookies, and puddingsare all dessert staples. Another popular option is somevariation of sweet or savory dough balls. Boza is a com-mon drink served as part of dessert. It is produced frommaize and originates in the north. Particularly refresh-ing in the summer, it offers a pleasant, non-alcoholicoption. Often the most delicious desert, however, is themost simple: a variety of seasonal fruits, served plain,can be the perfect ending to a scrumptious meal.


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Alcoholic beverages are interwo-ven with Albanias history. The mostpopular and traditional is raki. It is

often made from grapes, but can bedistilled from a variety of fruits, in-cluding plums. The best raki is madein small batches by artisans who trulytake pride in their craft. Regions in thesouth are noted for their grape rakiproduction, while the colder regionsin the north specialize in plum raki.

Cognac is also popularhere, and a local brand,Skanderbeg, has won sev-eral international competi-tions.


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Wine has long been produced inAlbania, and represents a centuries-old tradition. Through archeological

finds, production has been traced backsome 3,000 years to the Illyrians, whoestablished a thriving wine industry.Wine production continued to flourishunder the Byzantines. Several uniquevarieties are enjoyed throughout Alba-nia: Shesh i zi, Kallmet, Mavrud, andMalaga.


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The North

Corn is widely produced here and serves asthe staple for many varieties of culinary de-lights. Due to the characteristic cold winters,meat is often dried from preservation.

Vegetables are chosen for their heartiness, as well, with potatoes, onions,

garlic, and cabbage being among the most popular.


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Traditional dishes include baked rice, risottos, fritters, casseroles, pies,and mashes. Fish, of both sea and fresh waters, are plentiful here, and also arean ingredient in many dishes. Some cities boast unique dishes and have woventhem into local culture. Shkodra, in particular, has several signature dishes,which are described here:

Jani Meat: beef or lamb is sauted with onions, garlic, sauce and spices.Traditionally cooked over fire, the sauces is reduced, gradually tenderizing

the meat


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In the Dibra region, many fruitsand nuts are cultivated and incor-porated into the local cuisine. Mostnotable is the plum, which has beenused in raki production for centu-ries. Also popular are cherries, wal-nuts, apples, and pomegranates.

In the Lezhe region thereare many lagoons whichprovide a habitat for a vari-ety of game species. Manyrestaurants and homesincorporate the ducks,geese, pheasants and haresfound here into deliciousdishes. These game meatsare highly prized for theirflavor and versatility.

Baked Stuffed Eggplant: pre-pare several medium eggplants byremoving stems, halving length-

wise, and briefly sauting. In an-other pan, prepare the stuffingby combining crumbled cheese,parsley, flour, and egg. Bake thestuffed eggplants and serve withparsley and tomato.


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Central Regions

A variety of wild animal species flourishhere. From waterfowl and poultry species tomamals such as wild boar, this rich diversityaugments local cuisine. Particularly in theDivjaka Forest, on the Adriatic coast, many

game species are hunted and incorporated into popular dishes. Fishing, too,represents an important economic activity and enhances cuisine through theuse of these fruits of the sea. Sole, bass, eel, and mullet are all popular.


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The land and climate here support a wide variety of agricultural products,as well. Berries and fruits, in particular, are delicious. Grapes, as previouslymentioned, serve as the basis for raki production. Popular dishes of this re-gion include plum casserole, Elbasani yogurt, Tirana stew, baked phyllo pie,and baked rice.


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The Berat region is home to some of the largest fig plantations in theBalkans. Often, the figs are prepared as preserves or jam. The figs are re-nowned for their exceptional quality and are sometimes strung together or

ground, formed into shapes, and dried.

The area of Myzeqe is not-ed for turkey production anda particular dish called turkey

with mash. This dish is availablethroughout the country, but lo-cals say it is most delicious inthis area. What follows is a de-scription of this local delicacy:

Clean the turkey. Rub theoutside with salt and butter.Bake in a small amount of wa-ter and reserve some of this touse in the mash. Crumble thedough (prepared beforehand us-ing maize flour, water, salt andsome oil) or the maize bread,and leave it in a pot. Lightly frya leek or onion, pour the tur-key juice and some water and

let it come to a boil. Add thecrumbled bread and stir until itthickens. Serve the turkey withthe mash.


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The SouthAlbania has a large livestock and animal hus-

bandry industry. The southern parts of the coun-try are particularly conducive to raising animalsas pastures and feed resources are abundant.Some Albanian producers have started small scaleproduction of organic meats here, and they are gaining popularity. Dairy farms

are plentiful here, as well. Gjirokastra, in particular, is home to several largedairies. Large scale milk production (from cows and sheep) results in a varietyof delicious yogurts, cheeses, and other milk products. The region makes thefamed sheep yogurt-so thick it must be cut with a knife.


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Some typical entrees served in the regions around Gjirokastra and Srandaare meat and cheese pies, and rich soups featuring lemon and rice, amongother things. Desserts include baklava and many other regional specialties.


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Olive and citrus trees thrive in the mild climate here. Olives are servedas appetizers and are often incorporated into salads and other vegetarianand meat dishes.


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In the Pogradec re-gion, the making of wineor raki usually occurs

on a small-scale basis inindividual households.Often, the recipes usedare traditions them-selves, and have beenhanded down throughgenerations. Productiontakes place in the cool-est nooks of the houseand enhances the mildflavor of the wine. Fish

dishes are renown in thePogradec region, as well.The Koran fish is sau-ted and combined withsauces and spices. Sev-eral fresh water species,

the sardele and cironkatare fried and enjoyed ingreat quantities. Alsocommon are nut glikodishes.


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All along the western part of this region is the Albanian Riviera, wheredelicious cuisine from the sea can be enjoyed in a truly picturesque andbeautiful area. One of the most attractive destinations in the entire coun-

try, this area has much to offer and will delight travelers with countless at-tractions.


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CHARCTERISIC

ALBANIAN DESERT

Ballokume is a specialcrumpet like dessertand is characteristicof Elbasan. It is mas-terfully prepared bylocal homemakers-primarily for the cel-ebration of SummerDay on March 14th.

The pastry tra-ditionally combinesflour, butter, egg andsugar to create thisscrumptious dessert.


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Albanian cuisine offers unique flavors that have developed and evolvedover the centuries. Albanias geographic location, more or less at thecrossroads between East and West, has resulted in an original culinary

blend. It shows influences from Asian, Turkish, and various Europeansources. Agriculture flourishes here, and the organic fruits and vegetablesgrown in the Mediterranean climate serve to further enrich the cuisine.


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Albanian

Traditional

Cuisine

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albanian traditional cuisine

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