Albanian gastronomy is a great attraction for those who like to enjoy imaginative, fresh and healthy food. The cuisine is Mediterranean, but you can also feel Balkan and oriental influences, which adds to its originality. Food in Albania is cheap in comparison to Western Europe, one can typically get a meal in a restaurant for 5 euros.
The typical Albanian diet includes a large amount of fresh vegetables (perime), fruit (fruta) and other products like olives (ullinj).
Albanians love meat (mish) of all kinds. The most commonly consumed types are beef (mish lope), veal (mish viçi) or pork (mish derri), but often served is also lamb (mish qingji) and goat (mish keci).
Most of the cheeses (djathë) are a type of white brined, hardened and salted to prolong freshness. Fermented products, such as liquid yoghurt (kos), are very tasty and healthy. The local variant of ayran, a drink made with yoghurt, salt and water, is called dhallë in Albania.
Fish (peshk) has a firm place on the Albanian menu. The rivers and lakes are home to a number of fish species, such as the carp (krap) or the Ohrid trout (koran), both of them being considered a delicacy. Trout (troftë) farms are common inland, whereas seafood (ushqimi i detit) is typical for the Albanian coast. Don’t miss the mussels (midhjet) that are cultivated on the Butrint Lake in the very south of the country.
Outline of Meals in Albania
Albanian breakfast (mëngjes) can have many variations. In guesthouses and hotels, you’ll usually see this assortment: white bread, butter, cheese, eggs, jam and yoghurt, accompanied by tea or coffee. Fresh fruit and vegetables are no exception, but a lot depends on the location and the season. In the mountains, a hot breakfast, usually soup, is not uncommon.
The main meal of the day in Albania is lunch (drekë), which is accompanied by a lot of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and olives. Sometimes a veggie salad shows up on your table at a restaurant even if you didn’t order it.
Dinners (darkë) tend to be similar to lunches, but the portions are smaller. The main course is again accompanied by a fresh salad.
Traditional Food in Albania
One of Albania’s national meals is tavë kosi, a roasted lamb with yoghurt sauce served with rice. The tavë from Elbasan is particularly popular, but you can get it in many variations around the country. A delicacy is the fish tavë (tavë e peshkut), which is typical for the Ohrid Lake area and is cooked with the endemic species of trout (koran).
Another national dish is fergesë, stewed tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, meat, yoghurt and gjizë, a cheese similar to Italian ricotta. This food is typical for Tirana and areas of central Albania. A vegetarian version of fergesë is also common.
There are lots of restaurants in Albania that specialise in spit-roasted meat, known as mish në hell. This kind of meat is often eaten at family gatherings and other festive events and is regarded as an exceptional delicacy.
Albanians are also fond of intestines with sheep’s heart, liver or kidneys being quite popular. A renowned delicacy is kukurec, lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal.
Even vegetarians will find something for themselves in Albania. The jani me fasule (bean soup) will warm you up. In the hot summer, you will appreciate the refreshing taste of cold tarator soup made of fresh cucumbers. A delicious light dish is spece me gjize – roasted peppers stuffed with rice and cheese. The best Albanian cheese kaçkavall is served fried, baked or grilled in some restaurants. If you plan to visit Gjirokastër, don’t miss the qifqi, spicy rice balls scented with chopped mint.
Like in Turkey and the rest of the Balkans, bakllava is the most common dessert also in Albania. Thin slices of crispy dough with nuts and honey are the perfect match for a good coffee or tea. A calorie bomb is petulla – fried pieces of dough sprinkled with sugar or topped with fruit jam.
Fast food in Albania
Grills (zgarë) are the most common type of fast food in Albania. The most popular meal here is grilled meatballs (qofte), most served with bread (bukë) or chips (patate) and seasoning. An equally common is the shish qebap, skewered and grilled cubes of meat. Seasonal vegetables are often grilled and served as a side dish.
Bakeries offering burek (byrek) are a special kind of fast food. This savoury puff pastry pie, which is most often filled with meat, cheese or spinach, is popular throughout the Balkans and Albania is no exception.
Ju bëftë mirë! Enjoy your meal!
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes offer a delightful journey into the heart of Albanian cuisine, renowned for its Mediterranean and Balkan influences. Whether you’re a culinary enthusiast, an adventurous traveller, or simply someone eager to explore the local culture through its food, these classes provide an excellent opportunity to do so. Classes in English are offered in bigger cities or beach resorts such as Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër or Ksamil.
Drinks in Albania
Turkish coffee (kafe turke) is traditionally brewed in xhezvë (small long-handled pot) in Albania. There are many methods of brewing the most delicious coffee, and no Albanian can fail to have his or her own. Whether prepared with caramelised sugar or sweetened in the cup, poured with hot or cold water, with a different number of boiling, it always excites you with its strong taste, rich black colour and pleasant aroma. Albanians can sit with coffee and chat with friends in cafes for long hours.
Very popular in Albania is mountain tea (çaj mali). It is technically not a tea, but a delicious herb brew of a mountain plat called Sideritis. It grows only at higher altitudes and is usually harvested by herders who sell it dried to the market. Albanians consider this tea a panacea and drink it for any minor ailments.
Tap water is not always drinkable in cities and even locals sometimes prefer to use it only for cooking or brushing their teeth. They sometimes buy bottled water or drink tea or one of the famous Albanian mineral waters. The most commonly available mineral water is Qafshtama from the Qafë Shtamë nature park or Glina, which is taped off a spring near Gjirokastër. In the mountain villages, the water is mostly drinkable, as people bring it directly from the springs through a system of hoses.
Although Albania is a predominantly Muslim country, the majority of its inhabitants do not shy away from alcohol. In the countryside, almost every household produces its brandy (raki), mostly from grapes but also from any other fruit. A common souvenir that tourists take home is the Skandërbeu cognac.
Beer (birrë) is available in every shop or restaurant. The oldest and most widely consumed Albanian beer is Korça, while Tirana or Elbar are at least as popular. The Korça is home to the oldest brewery and the city hosts a renowned beer festival every year.
Albania has one of the longest traditions of wine (verë) cultivation in Europe. Both red and white varieties are grown, with Shesh, Kallmet and Pullës being typical Albanian varieties. There are dozens of wineries (kantina) in the country, some of which can be visited for wine tasting.
Tak Gëzuar! Na zdraví!
Useful Links
Accommodation
Explore diverse, reliable accommodations in Albania with Booking.com, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Flights
Find the cheapest flights to Albania on Kiwi.com. It combines various airlines into a single itinerary.
Car Rental
Discover Albania with cheap & reliable car rentals through Rent from Locals.
Mobile data
Airalo provides affordable and convenient mobile data to keep you connected wherever you travel. Forget local SIM or roaming charges.
Experiences
Viator.com offers a way to book diverse tours and activities in Albania, providing access to trusted local partners.