“The first thing I did when I started was employ ladies in their 60s in my kitchen,” says Altin Prenga, founder of Albania’s slow food movement, his eyes crinkling at the memory. “I knew they remembered the old recipes.”
Food is at the heart of every Albanian home, and plays a central role in any traveler’s trip— whether it’s fresh sardines in the country’s southern riviera or hearty home-cooked byrek (stuffed pastry) in the north. But to understand why food is so important to Albanians, we must understand the country’s complex history. Albania’s unique location—in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines—means its land has been fought over for centuries. As a result, you can taste the Italian, Greek and Turkish influences in the cuisine.
Equally significant is the impact of 45 years of communist rule, which ended in 1991. “Communism tried to destroy our traditional identity,” Altin explains, in reference to the dishes that were passed down as whispered secrets from generation to generation, and the recipes that survived the “square white cheese and square white bread” years. “So allowing people to discover Albanian culture through my food is my passion.”
If you’re a traveler who wants to truly experience Albanian culture, these are the culinary experiences not to be missed.
