Kuzhina shqiptare
The Albanian kitchen
Albania might not be the most perfect country in the world but one thing is for sure; definitely you will experience some of the best Mediterranean food of your life.
Trust me on this one.
The dishes
Under the names they grew up with
Say it like this.
-
BakllavaBaklava from scratch -
ByrekAlbanian pie with ricotta and spinach -
Byrek me kungullFlaky pumpkin byrek -
Byrek me mishFlaky meat byrek triangles -
Krem karamelCrème caramel -
PastërmaSalted, air-dried beef -
PetullaSoft fried dough -
QofteAlbanian meatballs -
QumështorSweet milk custard -
Supë puleChicken noodle soup -
TrahanaDried yogurt sauce over bread -
TurliSummer vegetables with beef -
Turli perimeshBaked vegetables, like Greek briam
How to read it
Say it before you cook it
Albanian is written the way it sounds. Learn these twelve and you can read any dish on this site out loud.
Xh is J. Now you can say my name.
All twelve. Now read this out loud: Xhulio gatuan. It means Xhulio cooks.
- close to ch: qofte
- j as in jam: Xhulio
- uh, the a in sofa
- the French u: byrek
- a thick, dark l: petulla
- a rolled r: trrahana
- ch as in chair
- sh as in shop: qumështor
- y as in yes: ju
- a soft j: gjizë
- th as in this: djathë
- ts as in cats: kernacka
The pantry
What to buy, and what to swap
- Gjizë
- Fresh, salty curd cheese. Swap: ricotta. That is what I use in my byrek.
- Djathë i bardhë
- White cheese kept in brine. Swap: feta.
- Kos
- Plain yogurt, thick and sour. Swap: Greek yogurt.
- Petë
- The thin dough sheets for byrek and bakllava. Swap: phyllo.
- Trahana
- Dried, fermented crumbs of wheat and yogurt. No swap: look in a Balkan, Greek or Turkish shop.
- Rigon
- Dried oregano. It goes in my qofte.
Going there?
Eat where I would send a friend
When I went back to Albania, I made a list of the restaurants I had to go to, thanks to my foodie friends who live there. These are the 10 you must eat at. It's from 2020, so check before you go.
Ju bëftë mirë!
It means: may it do you good. It is what we say at the table.