Prior to our 10 day road trip through the wild nation of Albania, we didn’t know much about the history, we were a bit unsure of the culture and customs, and we most certainly were unaware of how delicious Albanian food is!
The UNESCO town of Berat is home to some of the best food we’ve ever eaten. Anywhere.
We may have only dined at one restaurant in town (Mangalemi Restaurant), but that’s because the food was authentic Albanian, the home-cooked meals were delicious, and the prices were more than fair.
☞ SEE ALSO: 10 Best Airbnbs in Tirana, Albania and 15 Best Things To Do in Tirana
Fantastic Albanian food can be found all around the country, but the dishes that stood out for us the most were found in Berat.
From inland Berat, we also made our way to the coast where we found some more scrumptious Albanian food, with an Italian flare.
While Albanian food isn’t known as being the most popular or the best in the world like some other well-known cuisines (Chinese, Mexican, Italian, etc.), it’s definitely unique, flavourful and delicious!
Check out these 10 mouth-watering dishes from our travels in Albania.
Table of Contents
1. Freshly Caught Shrimp
Being located right on the Ionian Sea, it comes as no surprise that fresh seafood is popular with tourists and locals in Saranda.
The fishermen sell their catch early in the morning right along the pedestrian promenade, so if you want to take a peek at the fish on offer, head there around 9:00 and check it out. Dining seaside while feasting on freshly caught shrimp is a must.
Cost: 1500 ALL ($12) for 15 shrimp
2. Fëgesë
This simple dish ended up being one of our go-to meals for lunch.
Green and red peppers, along with skinned tomatoes and onions are cooked down with cottage cheese and spices. The end product is a thick dip, which when accompanied with some bread is actually quite filling.
Cost: 300 ALL ($2.40)
3. Tavë Kosi
Albanian food is known for featuring lamb and veal, and the tavë kosi is one of the most beloved dishes in the country.
Lamb is baked in an earthenware dish with eggs and yogurt. The end result is a quiche-like dish, with tender meat and a light, creamy egg topping.
Cost: 500 ALL ($4.00)
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4. Perime Në Scarë
Grilled vegetables are a popular appetizer or accompaniment not only in Albanian food, but all of the eastern Balkans.
Typically, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and peppers are the vegetables of choice, and oftentimes cheese will be crumbled on top. We ate many tasty grilled vegetable dishes during our stay in Saranda.
Cost: 300-400 ALL ($2.40 – $3.20)
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5. Fileto Pule Me Panna Dhe Kerpudha
Translated, this is grilled chicken breast with a cream sauce and fresh mushrooms. Since lamb and veal are the most popular meats in Albania, it’s a welcomed change to see chicken on the menu!
Cost: 650 ALL ($5.25)
6. Chocolate Delight!
The cafe culture, complete with “dolces” (sweets or desserts in Italian) are popular in Albania.
People sit in cafes while puffing on cigarettes, drinking espresso, and eating these delicious desserts. This one was basically all chocolate with a bit of cake inside. It was extremely rich and very delicious.
Cost: 150 ALL ($1.20)
7. Speca me Glizë
Yellow, orange, or red peppers are stuffed with rice, cottage cheese and spices, before being baked in the oven. This was one of our favourite Albanian foods, as it was bursting with flavour, and was a healthy choice.
Cost: 250 ALL ($2.00)
8. Byrek Mangalemi
A special of Mangalemi Restaurant, this is a delicious savoury pie. Topping a thin crust is a fluffy mix of pumpkin, potato, cottage cheese and a hint of lemon. Divine!
Cost: 250 ALL ($2.00)
9. Pizza
Due to the large Italian influence in Albania, there are many Italian foods on the menus — pizza, pasta, risotto, and more.
While there’s nothing quite like having pizza in Italy, the wood-fired pizzas in Albania are actually really well done and can be found all around the country.
We had a couple while we were staying along the Ionian Sea.
Cost: 550 ALL ($4.45) for a large pepperoni pizza
10. Shëndetli
This honey nut cake is a typical Albanian dessert and is also a very popular one.
It’s made with all of the usual cake suspects – baking soda, flour, sugar, eggs – but what sets it apart is the addition of honey and walnuts.
Also, when the cake is ready, a hot syrup made with vanilla, sugar, water and cloves is poured over the cake and left to soak overnight. This dessert is delicious and isn’t too sweet either.
Cost: 150 ALL ($1.20)
Enjoy all of the tasty food in Albania!
Sometimes when travelling, we tend to get a bit tired of having the same cuisine day after day. However, Albanian food had enough of a variety to satisfy all of our food cravings while travelling around the country.
We loved the fact that practically everything that we ordered from the menu would be not only delicious, but inexpensive as well. Let us know which tasty Albanian dishes you’d add to this list!
Read more: Acclimatizing to Albania: Our 10 Days of Travel
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