Albanian cuisine

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The Albanian cuisine ( Albanian  Kuzhina Shqiptare , [kuˈʒi: na ʃcipˈta: ɹɛ] ) is the national cuisine of the Albanian people . This includes the kitchens of Albania , Kosovo , western North Macedonia and the regional kitchens of the Albanians in Serbia and Montenegro . Sometimes the kitchens of the Arbëresh and the Arvanites are also added, but these two are strongly influenced by the Italian and Greek cuisine .

Albanian cuisine is Mediterranean ; however, as part of the Balkan cuisine, it also shows oriental influences. There are sometimes considerable differences from region to region.

features

Bottle of red wine from Durrës

Albanian cuisine uses a wide variety of ingredients, including various types of vegetables such as eggplant , peppers , tomatoes , cucumber , cabbage and spinach, as well as various grains such as wheat , corn , barley and rye . Rice , potatoes and beans are ingredients in many other dishes. Frequently used types of meat are lamb , goat , beef and veal , chicken and other poultry and, depending on the religion, pork . Sometimes offal also find its way into the food. Fish is also widespread near the seashore and large inland lakes. Dairy products such as yogurt are also important .

The main meal of the day is lunch. This often includes a salad made from fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and olives . The meze / mezeja is also widespread . Other important ingredients are olive oil and cheese , typical spices include oregano , mint , paprika powder , basil , onions and garlic . The Turkish-oriental influence can be clearly felt in the usual very sweet desserts .

Different dishes have developed regionally, and there are also different variants of the same dish, which vary from area to area, but also from village to village. Since in Albanian cuisine one cooks with a sense of proportion rather than according to a recipe, it is also difficult to actually make Albanian cuisine “tangible” or to put together a reliable collection of recipes. Nevertheless there are many cookbooks on Albanian dishes from Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.

Typical drinks include raki rrushi (grape brandy) and raki mani ( mulberry brandy ), konjak Skënderbeu , Turkish coffee , espresso and mountain tea . Albania has also had a rich viticulture culture for centuries , which is hardly known abroad. Buttermilk (alb. Dhalla / Dhallë ) is also drunk with many dishes .

Food culture

The meal begins with the sentence Për të mirë! (in the same way as “Bon appetit !”, literally translated: For the sake of your health ! ), this is replied with Faleminderit, edhe ty / ju / juve gjithashtu! ( Thank you, you / you / you too! ). At the end of a meal, the eater says Zoti e shtoftë! (“May God increase it!”) While the others at the table Të / Ju bëftë mirë! (“It should be fine for you!”). It is worth mentioning the Albanian hospitality, which is reflected in the sumptuous dishes. The diner or the guest is repeatedly and emphatically offered a second helping.

Albanian food

Typical Albanian dishes include:

Side dishes

  • flatbread
  • Qiqra , snail-shaped bread made from chickpea flour
  • Turshia ; Vegetables pickledin vinegar , table salt , pepper , garlic, onions, parsley and other spices and herbs or first fried and then pickled vegetables (especially green and not yet fully ripe tomatoes, red, yellow and green peppers, cabbage, eggplants, hot peppers, etc. .)
  • Cheeses made from sheep, goat or cow milk ( Djath i bardhë , Kaçkavall )
  • Tarator , summer starter
  • Ajvar and Pinxhur

Main courses

Pilaf -Gericht from hat
Byrek
Pasul with dried meat
  • Oshmare Korçe
  • Sarma / Dollma , stuffed vine or cabbage leaves
  • Patëllxhane të mbushura , stuffed eggplant
  • Fërgesë Tirane , also available as a variant with pieces of meat and liver
  • Byrek , usually with spinach and / or sheep cheese
  • Flia , pastries made from dough with a cream filling
  • Pita , a kind of covered pizza (made of several layers of thin dough), with leek , spinach, onion, bean, pumpkin , nettle or cabbage filling ( * Byrek Pete . Often baked in a saç )
  • Trahana , dough made from wheat and curdled milk , which is dried in the sun and ground into crumbs, later boiled by adding water and bread
  • Chicken with walnut filling
  • Tavë kosi , lamb or mutton casserole
  • Biftek / Pleskavica , meatballs (also with cheese filling)
  • Qofte
  • Moussaka , potato and minced meat casserole
  • Pilaf / oriz , meat baked on rice in the oven
  • Kukurec , stuffed sheep intestines
  • Suxhuk dishes

Soups and stews

Desserts

Bakllava
Sheqerpare / Gurabija , served with a cup of black tea

The desserts of Albanian cuisine show a strong oriental influence.

  • Hallva
  • Hasude / Revani me nisheste , dessert made from starch ( nisheste ), water, butter and sugar
  • Revani me sherbet , a dessert made from flour, butter and sugar sauce
  • Bakllava
  • pancake
  • Llokume
  • Kadaif
  • Muhaleb , milk pudding
  • Sultjash / Sykljaq
  • Qumështor , warm milk mixed with cinnamon
  • Tespipe , baked dumplings made from nuts and then pickled in sugar syrup
  • Eklera
  • Sheqerpare ("sugar money ") or gurabija , baked dumplings and then pickled in sugar syrup
  • Ballka , almost the same as Sheqerpare , only that the individual dumpling is surrounded by another dumpling made of cocoa
  • Oshaf , fig and sheep milk pudding
  • Reçel , candied fruit
  • Trileçe , originally a Spanish dish made of sweet pastries soaked in milk with a layer of caramel on top

literature

Web links

Commons : Albanian Cuisine  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files