25 Amazing Albanian Dishes to Try on Your Next Trip
When you think of the best global cuisines, Albanian dishes are not the first to come to mind. You’d be making a mistake to overlook traditional Albanian food, though.
After spending over a month eating around Albania, we’ve curated a list of the best traditional Albanian dishes – including some of our favorite meals of all time!
Located just east of Italy and north of Greece, a mix of Mediterranean, Turkish, and Italian influences make Albanian dishes some of the most delicious and unique in Europe.
Read on to find out the Albanian dishes you HAVE to try and what to look out for on menus during your next trip to Albania!
If you’re heading to Tirana and fancy being shown around all the best street food stops, this food tour is a great starting point.
👉 More reasons to visit Tirana here.
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Albanian Dishes – Main Courses
1. Albanian Byrek
Byrek, byrek, byrek, there’s nothing quite like you. Flaky dough layers are filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables and baked to buttery perfection.
Byrek is eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a main meal. The most popular fillings are meat (mish), spinach (spinaq), feta cheese (djath), and pumpkin (kungull).
If you only try one of our Albanian dishes, make it byrek!
2. Speca me Gjize
The Balkans have a special type of long, green pepper that have a mild but flavorful taste.
The most popular method of serving these peppers (called speca) is chargrilled with olive oil and thick, warm cream and cheese poured on top.
Dip some warm homemade bread into the mix and you’ve got speca me gjize (peppers with creamed-cheese)!
This is another must-try dish. The peppers are not spicy at all, making this an Albanian dish anyone can enjoy.
3. Albania Stuffed Peppers (Speca të Mbushura)
Albanian stuffed peppers are one of the most popular Albanian dishes all around the country. Filled with rice and sometimes ground meat and tomatoes as well, Albanian stuffed peppers are ALWAYS delicious.
Some of the very best we tried were at Eni Traditional Food in Berat.
4. Patëllxhan të Mbushur (stuffed eggplant)
Similar to Albania stuffed peppers, patëllxhan të mbushur is another popular dish found in traditional Albanian restaurants. We tried both stuffed peppers and stuffed eggplant at Eni Traditional Food in Berat.
5. Tavë Kosi
A very traditional dish, Tavë Kosi is made of lamb or chicken baked in a mixture of yogurt, rice, and egg.
You won’t find this dish outside of Albania or anywhere except traditional restaurants, so be sure to order it if you see it on a menu!
6. Qofte
Another staple Albanian dish, qofte is a must-try in Albania if you eat meat. Qofte (sometimes called Albanian meatballs) are made from ground beef, pork, chicken, or lamb and mixed with various spices and vegetables.
Qofte are served with pickled veggies, raw onions, yogurt sauce, and bread to tie it all together. This is a VERY affordable meal at any ‘qofteria’ – we LOVED our meal at Qebabtore Gjakova in Tirana.
Read more about where to eat and things to do in Tirana in our one week Albania itinerary
7. Flia
Flia can be described as a series of crepe-like layers baked onto one another with layers of butter in between.
A very traditional Albanian dish, flia is most often made in the home or occasionally in traditional bakeries or restaurants.
Flia is a labor of love, taking multiple hours to bake each layer individually over a fire in a special pan. Once complete, flia is usually eaten with cheese, jam, or honey.
One of the only places we saw flia being sold was at a cafe in the mountains on our hike from Theth to Valbona!
8. Fërgesë
Made with tomatoes, cheese, peppers, and lots of garlic, fërgesë is a dish you’ll likely only find in traditional Albanian restaurants or made by grandma at home.
Eaten with bread dipped into the sauce, fërgesë is a classic Albanian comfort food.
9. Fasule (or Pasule)
Fasule (also called pasule in some regions) translates to bean soup. This is one of the most common Albanian dishes that you will find in many traditional restaurants and served often in the home.
Especially popular on cold winter days, fasule is made of white beans, a tomato sauce base, and onion.
TOP TIP: If you order fasule (which you should), ask for a side of raw onions and some yogurt to serve on top. The crunch and bold flavor of the onion combined with the cream of the yogurt in the tomato base is SO delicious!
10. Buk Kallamoqit
Albanian cornbread with cream sauce – one of the absolute best Albanian dishes we tried during our month in Albania!
Made like a traditional bread, but with cornmeal as the grain, buk kallamoqit isn’t a dish you’re likely to find outside the home.
We had the privilege of trying it while staying at Guesthouse Kujtmi in Theth.
We HIGHLY recommend a trip up to Theth – even if you aren’t big into hiking, stay a few days at a guesthouse in the mountains and try the traditional cuisines of Northern Albania!
Snacky Albanian Dishes
11. Ajvar
Ajvar is a dip or condiment made with red bell peppers and eggplant. This delicious dip is one of our favorite Albanian dishes we’ve continued to eat after leaving Albania!
Spread it on bread, have a dollop with your eggs, dip your pretzels – the possibilities are endless!
12. Dolma
Dolma is a popular food around the Balkans and Middle East, and Albania is no exception.
Traditionally made with grape leaves, dolma in Albania often uses cabbage leaves instead and is stuffed with a variety of vegetables and rice.
You may see this Albanian dish on local menus as japrak.
13. Kashkaval
Kashkaval translates to cheese in Albanian, but serves as an umbrella word for any sort in the same family. Generally made from a cow or sheep, kashkavel is soft and tangy.
It’s eaten as a topping for foods like flia (discussed below) or baked as its own dish with foods like tomato or peppers.
If you’re visiting Albania, you’re sure to try kashkavel at some point during your trip!
Breakfast in Albania
14. Petulla
Petulla means fried dough in Albanian. One of the most popular Albanian breakfast dishes, petulla are served with jam and/or honey and are best eaten hot and fresh.
They are usually served as part of a larger breakfast with vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, eggs, and sometimes a few slices of meat.
We tried these in Theth. Here’s our list of the very best guesthouses where you can have the same experience!
15. Kifle
Kifle are traditional crescent-shaped bread rolls, usually made with cheese, jam, or just plain.
They are a very popular on-the-go breakfast in Albania and you will find them en masse at any bakery around the country.
Our favorite is the kifle me djath (with cheese). They are the perfect combination of bread and slightly sweet cheese!
16. Bread (bukë)
Bread is life in Albania. You’ll find bread with every single meal, but plain bread with butter and jam is also a very common breakfast food.
While bread isn’t exactly a meal, we couldn’t leave it out of our Albanian dishes list!
Albanian Desserts
17. Trileçe
You may or may not have heard of trileçe before depending on where you are from and the places you’ve traveled!
Trileçe translates to three milks, and that’s exactly what it is: evaporated milk, whipped cream and condensed milk. A thick brown syrup is added to the top of the cake to give it the classic brown sugar flavor.
You’ll be able to find trileçe in almost any bakery in Albania – we’d say it’s probably the most popular Albanian dessert!
Check out this interesting article for a history of how trileçe has spread around the world!
18. Albanian Bakllava
Bakllava is one of those desserts that’s GOOD when it’s good, and still good when it’s not. Bakllava is traditionally served for Bajram (the end of Ramadan) but you can still find it in bakeries around Albania all year.
Made from layers of filo dough, honey, and walnuts or pistachios (our fav), this is a staple dessert not only in Albania but throughout the Balkans and Middle East.
19. Sultjash (Tambëloriz)
Sultjash is like an Albanian rice pudding made with milk, cinnamon, and raisins. Served cold, sultjash is one of our very favorite Albanian dishes.
It’s creamy, sweet and so satisfying as a midday treat, post-dinner dessert, or even for breakfast!
If you see sultjash in a bakery, be sure to order one for us! You may also find this dessert as Tambëloriz, especially in central Albania.
👅 Read more about our favorite Tambëloriz we found in Gjirokaster!
20. Tullumba
Tullumba are small, fried dough pastries that have been soaked in syrup. Similar to churros, Tullumba are a delicious snack you can find in bakeries, cafes, and even on the street around Albania!
These are another of our very favorite Albanian dishes.
Albanian Drinks
21. Albanian Coffee
Albanian coffee rules the country. Life revolves around coffee in Albania – instant coffee, Turkish coffee, macchiatos in a cafe, coffee in the morning and night – you name it.
Our recommendation: pick a cafe, order a macchiato, and people watch.
22. Çaj (tea)
Çaj means tea in Albanian and is another ubiquitous drink in every home and restaurant. Order a çaj at a restaurant and you’ll probably receive the classic, red Turkish style tea that is served in small, ornate glasses.
Order this after your meal to help digest, or have a çaj in a cafe as a pick-me-up mid day. Either way, çaj is a must-try drink and experience when you’re in Albania.
TOP TIP: Add a bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon to your çaj. The flavor is enhanced by the combination and will take your drink to the next level.
23. Dhallë
Salty and refreshing, dhallë is a yogurt drink that’s very popular both in Albanian restaurants and homes.
Made with yogurt, water (still or sparkling), and salt, dhallë is often drunk with savory, traditional foods. Our favorite versions of dhallë also have mint added!
24. Raki
The national drink of Albania, raki is made from fermented grapes or plums (or other fruits like pears).
You will find this very strong alcohol everywhere in the Balkans and there are even bars that specialize in selling raki.
🥃 This street food tour in Tirana ends with a taste of Albania’s beloved raki.
Be warned – raki is no joke! It burns going down and won’t leave you sober for long. Our favorite kind is honey raki so make sure you order a shot if you see it.
25. Birra Tirana
Albania’s most popular local beer that you will find absolutely everywhere. If you like beer, give Birra Tirana a try. It’s nothing tooooo special, but it’s a nice tasting light beer that can always be purchased for a good price.
FAQs about Food in Albania
What is Albania’s Most Famous Food?
The most famous food in Albania is probably byrek. It’s cheap, it’s delicious, and there’s nowhere you won’t find it in Albania.
Is Albanian Food like Greek Food?
The ingredients used in Albanian dishes are very similar, if not the same ingredients used in many Greek dishes.
The key difference is the process in which the meals are made.
Is Albanian Cuisine Healthy?
Like any cuisine, it can be as healthy as you’d like it to be based on what you order.
You can get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and easily build a balanced meal. (We were obsessed with cherries in June 😍).
Our Final Thoughts on Albanian Cuisine
We hope this list has inspired you to explore the rich culinary landscape of Albania, whether you’re planning a trip or already there and looking for new dishes to try.
Albanian cuisine, shaped by centuries of influence from Greece, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire, has preserved its own distinct and remarkable food culture.
When we first arrived in Albania, we didn’t know what to expect, but we left with a deep appreciation for its cuisine and a desire to recreate some of these delicious dishes at home.
Intrigued and want to know more? We’ve curated the perfect route for your first visit to Albania and it includes our restaurant recommendations. 👉 Read our 7-Day Albania Itinerary here.
