Ajvar is a delicious snack made from roasted red peppers, garlic, eggplant, and other vegetables, all mashed up together and cooked in oil. It’s usually served as a condiment or a spread for bread and crackers. You can also season it with salt, pepper, or vinegar to give it some extra zing.

Dolma, also known as Yaprak, is a dish made from vine leaves or spinach leaves wrapped around a mixture of rice, onions, and spices. It’s typically served as a side dish and is enjoyed by all Albanians.

Tarator is a kind of sauce that’s made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and oil and is served as an appetizer. It’s usually served chilled and can be accompanied with potatoes, toasted bread, or anything else you may find delicious.

This appetizer consists of tasty fried eggplant cut into thin slices and marinated with olive oil and garlic. Albanians usually consume it before the main dish just to get the party started, and it goes really well with toasted bread, too. It’s a particularly beloved traditional Albanian food in Tirana.

Byrek could probably be considered Albania’s signature dish, properly representing Albania’s flavors and culture. It’s one of the best-known traditional Albanian food recipes, and every household has prepared it at least once.

It’s made with paper-thin sheets of filo pastry, butter, and a delicious salty spinach and egg filling (although if you don’t prefer that, you can eat it with onions, tomatoes, etc.). They usually bake it in a large pie dish until golden, and it’s usually cut into triangles. 

Speca të mbushur, or as you’d say in English, stuffed peppers, are a pretty common traditional Albanian food all over the country. It gets its name from the preparation method, which involves stuffing peppers with rice, minced beef, onions, and all kinds of herbs. As soon as you take a bite, you’ll feel a delicious explosion of taste from every fresh ingredient.

A tip for this dish is that different colored peppers have different tastes. Red ones are sweet; green ones are sour. You can easily use both kinds to make the dish delicious for everyone.

Flia, also known as Flija, is a pretty popular and beloved dish in Albania. It’s made of layered pancakes, and it requires very simple ingredients to make, such as flour, water, eggs, oil, butter, and nuts. Flija is baked using a “saç”, which is a round metal lid used to bake dishes like lakror or byrek.

Translated from the Albanian language, the name means to sacrifice, and in Albania, March 17 is Flia Day, when locals invite their relatives to prepare and eat it together.

This dish is widely spread across Albania, and there are actually two types of Fërgesë; with peppers and one with liver.

Fërgesë with liver is a dish from the Elbasani district, and it’s pretty easy to cook. You just throw some tasty ingredients in a pan, including tomatoes, liver pieces, onions, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. After they’re nicely cooked, add some creamy cottage cheese and an egg, and voila!

It’s usually eaten with toasted cornbread or just regular bread. Either way, it’s a real treat.

Next, we’ve got Qofte me Lëng, or juicy meatballs. It’s a classic dish that never disappoints. The smells coming from this one are more than enough to know how delicious it’s going to be. 

It’s prepared by taking bread crumbs, onions, garlic, minced meat, eggs, and spices and mixing them all together to create a consistent dough, splitting the dough into small balls along with olive oil, and finally cooking them in a pan. 

The sauce is prepared with butter, flour, vinegar, and broth. After this is ready, the cooked meatballs will simmer in the sauce for some time until they are ready. Enjoy!

Tavë Kosi is definitely a staple in Albanian households. Directly translated to English, it means “yogurt dish’’, as the basis for this dish is yogurt. It’s basically tender lamb baked with rice and yogurt, along with garlic, oregano, and other spices. It can be classified as a traditional Albanian Easter food because it’s made with lamb meat.

Like most traditional Albanian foods, it’s normally served with bread and salad, and it has a very special and buttery taste. This dish also originates from Elbasan.

Originating in Pogradec, a city in the southeast of Albania, Tavë me Koran is a preferred dish among all fish lovers. The Ohrid Trout is a fish that can only be found in Lake Ohrid in Pogradec, and cooked along with onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic, it gives you the perfect combination. Some also use white wine for cooking this dish, and it gives it an exquisite taste.

This dish is an explosion of taste, and consists of an eggplant sliced in the middle and stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, onions, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and many spices. It’s served with rice or potatoes, but either way, it’s a real treat for the tummy.

Pispili is a dish that’s common in the rural areas of Albania. It’s basically cornbread filled with leeks and cheese. It’s prepared by taking leeks, cheese, and scallions and placing them on top of a cornbread mixture. It’s typically served with yogurt and cut into squares.

Bakllava

Classified as a traditional Albanian Christmas food, Bakllava is sure to sweeten your mood. It’s an extremely sweet pastry prepared with many layers of flaky phyllo dough and filled with a mixture of chopped nuts and sherbet (a mixture of sugar, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt).

It’s a favorite among many cultures and just a perfect way to end a meal. The crunchy texture of the phyllo dough combined with the sweetness of the filling make for an unforgettable experience.

Kadaif

Along with baklava, kadaif is also typically prepared during the winter holidays. It’s made with flaky strings of dough that are dipped and covered in the aforementioned sherbet. It also contains crushed nuts, and there’s not much of a difference from Baklava when it comes to the taste; mainly the texture of the dough sets it apart.

Sultjash

Sultjash is a rice and milk pudding, a light and healthy treat. It’s a usual treat in Albanian households from time to time and has an amazing flavor. The best way to serve it is with cinnamon and walnuts on top. For a little extra flavor, you can add vanilla to the mix.

Trilece

One of the most fun desserts to eat, Trilece, consists of a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated, heavy cream, and condensed milk. The sponge cake is then topped with dark and sweet caramel. It melts in the mouth and is extremely delicious.

Sheqerpare

Sheqerpare is an almond-based cookie covered in lemon-flavored sweet syrup. It’s one of Albania’s most popular treats. In Albanian, “sheqer” means sugar, and “pare” means pastry, so the word can be translated as sweet pastry. It’s usually served during special occasions and celebrations, which Albania has an abundance of, so don’t miss your chance to try it!

Tullumba

These delicious and fun treats are prepared by frying them in hot oil and then dipping them in sugar. Some people like to add lemon juice too. They are best served cool and are the perfect snack to enjoy with friends.

Ballokume

Ballokume is a type of cookie that has its origin in the city of Elbasan, where they cook and consume it especially during the celebration of Summer Day on March 14. It has become a symbol of the city. It’s made with sugar and butter and is very sweet and soft.