Albanian food is quite unknown, but seriously, Albania is one of the best places to eat in Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. Albanian cuisine is markedly Mediterranean and Balkan – it has obvious Turkish influences, an Italian touch, and a character of its own. Fresh vegetables, olive oil and fresh spices like peppermint and dill are widely used.
In coastal cities, there is great fresh fish and seafood for a very low price, including the rare and highly appreciated dateri (small mussels) and sea urchins, usually enjoyed as an appetiser. Lamb and goatling are very popular for roasting, and beef and pork typically used for stews, as well as chicken and turkey.
Most of the ingredients used in Albanian kitchens are supplied by local, small producers that use traditional extensive techniques. This is why traditional preparations are fresh and very tasty, even the simplest ones. No need for haute cuisine!
Probably the best place to enjoy a good Albanian traditional meal with a modern twist is Mrizi i Zanave, near Lezhë. It exemplifies the principles of Albanian cuisine in an idyllic setting. Their ingredients are produced locally, and they even have their own farm!
Seriously, if you travel to Albania, you will be surprised by its recipes and you will want to cook back home some of the things you have tasted. Follow our guide to discover real Albanian cuisine without missing anything!
#1 Fërgesë
Fërgesë Tirane is the most famous traditional dish from Tirana and it is very popular in central Albania. This dish is something truly Albanian that cannot be found in any other Balkan country. It has another advantage – its name is one of the easiest to remember of all Albanian dishes!
The original Fërgesë Tirane is based on liver, but it is also very common to cook the same preparation with beef or lamb meat. The rest of the ingredients are: peppers, tomatoes, onions and gjizë (Albanian ricotta). It is cooked on the stove and then in the oven. When cooked, chilli peppers are added for a final spiciness that perfects the dish.
The result is arguably the most delicious preparation of Albanian cuisine. The mixture of flavours is amazingly balanced and its texture attracts a lot of bread.
Do not mistake fërgesë Tirane with fërgesë verorë (summer fërgesë), which is made with stir-fried peppers, tomatoes and garlic mixed with gjizë. Make sure that you are ordering what you really want (liver, meat or vegetarian) because often restaurants call them all just fërgesë.
#2 Tavë kosi
Tavë kosi is another very Albanian dish. It literally means yoghourt pot. When you go to Albania you will soon realise how important yoghourt is for Albanians and you will discover new uses for it.
This recipe originates from the city of Elbasan in central Albania. This is why it is also known as tavë Elbasani.
To prepare tavë kosi, lamb is cooked in an earthen pot in the oven, together with yoghourt and a little bit of rice.
#3 Byrek, lakror, pispili and fli
There is no one in Albania who doesn’t like a piece of warm byrek – the only discussion is what kind you like more! And when you try one, you will understand why.
Byrek could be described as the street food of the Western Balkans. It is ubiquitous (as byrek, burek – or börek in Turkey) although preparations and ingredients vary between countries – and in Albania they are probably the best, seriously. It is very handy when you have to travel or are in a hurry, but it is also served in fine restaurants.
In Albania, it is prepared by piling thin layers of flour dough similar to filo with the ingredients of choice and then baked in the oven. They are made either as large circular pies or triangular small bites. The most common variants are: minced meat with tomato or onion, spinach and gjizë.
Byrek me qumësht (milk byrek) is made only with dough, milk, eggs and butter.
White kidney bean byrek is rarer but also popular in winter.
In Elbasan, they cook byrek with an unusual twist: it has no filling, but they put it in sandwich! They call it bugaçe and it is actually much better than it seems, so give it a try if you go there.
Lakror is a kind of byrek from the Korçë region, which is not so easy to find in other areas of Albania. It is lighter than byrek because it is made only with two layers of pastry. The most usual fillings are leek and gjizë or tomato and onion. Lakror is cooked on wood embers and covered with a metal lid, which makes it crispier. It is definitely something you should try when you travel to Korçë.
In Tirana, it can be found in any zgara Korçare (Korça-style grill restaurants).
Pispili is made with maize flour and spinach, baked in the oven.
Fli is a staple in Kosovo and the North of Albania. It is made up of layers of a flour and water batter, cream and butter. Traditionally, it is baked on embers, like lakror.
We grouped all of these because they are the most representative recipes that are based on different kinds of dough, that can be made with wheat or maize.
Where can you eat the best byrek?
Byrek is something you can find everywhere, but not all are created the same.
In Durrës, the best are found in a cluster of byrek bakeries (byrektore) located in the intersection between Bulevardi Dyrah and Rruga Adria. Their meat and onion byrek is especially tasty.
In Tirana, one of the best is a byrek stall in Rruga Myslym Shyri. You will recognise it because it is on top of a small staircase. They also have the bean byrek, which is pretty good.
#4 Gjel deti me përshesh (Turkey with përshesh)
This is one of the most original Albanian dishes, which is also not found elsewhere. It is a very common recipe for special occasions: in the same way as in the USA, people cannot imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, in some Albanian families turkey with përshesh is the New Year’s Day classic. It is also offered to special guests, as it is a dish that takes quite some time to cook.
The turkey is first boiled and then roasted. Përshesh is prepared by adding a homemade bread called kulaç, broken into small pieces, to the turkey broth, along with mint and other spices, and baked in the oven. Credit to Luga e Argjendtë for the picture.
It can also be cooked with lamb instead of turkey (mish qingji me përshesh).
#5 Fasulle plaqi
Fasulle plaqi is the Albanian name for large white kidney beans. They are cooked in an earthen pot in the oven with tomato, onion, peppermint, oregano, bay leaves and black pepper. A simple yet very delicious dish to enjoy as meze.
It is likely you will not remember the name for long, but the taste will certainly remain in your memory.
#6 Pulë me rosnica (Chicken with rosnica)
This is the typical plate of Albanian grandmas… it is not so usual in restaurants, but we suggest you to give it a try if you happen to see it on the menu. It is a really authentic culinary experience!
Chicken is boiled, along with a stir-fried mixture of tomato and onion. When the chicken is smooth, it’s time to add rosnica.
Rosnica are small pieces of dough, fried in oil or butter until brown. After adding them to the chicken, it is oven-baked for some minutes.
The picture below is from Mirela Andoni (Papare), our favourite Albanian TV chef and instagramer.
#7 Imam bajalldi
The name of this dish based on aubergines literally means fainted imam. This poetic name is derived from a legend of an imam who tried it for the first time and fainted because the dish was very oily.
This is because the aubergines are fried in abundant oil before stuffing them with onion, peppers, garlic and tomatoes and baking them.
Imam bajalldi is a proof that vegan dishes can be quite heavy and delicious!
#8 Stuffed vegetables: speca të mbushura, japrak, sarma...
These recipes are ubiquitous in all the Balkans and Turkey, with small variations.
Japrak are vine leaves stuffed with rice and minced beef. As crazy as it may sound, vine leaves are very tasty!
Leaves are introduced in boiling water for a few minutes and then rolled with the filling. Then, they are cooked in a pot with a bit of water, until it evaporates, in order to cook the rice. Japrak is a spring dish, when leaves are pruned from grapevines to stimulate their growth, but nowadays it is found all year long thanks to vine leaf preserves (although the flavour is not the same).
Sarma (stuffed cabbage) is a very similar preparation to japrak, just substituting vine leaves for cabbage leaves.
Speca të mbushura (stuffed bell peppers) are filled with onions, tomatoes and rice (some people add minced meat too). They are finally baked in the oven.
#9 Roasted lamb (mish qingji i pjekur)
Sorry vegetarians, but Albanians really enjoy their lamb. They give it to dear guests and eat it on some special occasions. It is originally traditional from the South of Albania, but enjoyed throughout the country.
Fun fact: in the South of Albania, if you are given the piece with the tail, that means you are the most important guest.
The meat is always fresh and of good quality, so it is just roasted with salt. But the best way to cook lamb is slowly over a wood fire, as it is done in some specialised restaurants.
Roasted goatling is also very appreciated and especially common in mountainous areas, where these animals are abundant. The best we have tried is in Mrizi i Zanave.
#10 Qofte
When you go to Tirana, you will see a lot of zgara signs. This means grill and it is the place to eat qofte (meatballs), as well as different meat cuts and other sausages.
They are also fried in a pan at home or in other restaurants (qofte shtëpie) or in the oven with tomato sauce.
To prepare qofte, minced meat is mixed with eggs, bread soaked in water or milk, garlic, onion, and spices, usually: oregano, black pepper, persil, peppermint and salt. Peppermint is widely used in the Eastern Mediterranean and it gives the meat that distinctive flavour that reminds you that you are not in Western Europe.
If you go to Korça, you should order kërnacka, finger-shaped qofte (like kebabs). We recommend Taverna Vasili for those and many other regional recipes.
If you are interested in Albania, please read our travel guides in the country:
