Six things you really shouldn’t do in Albania
Albania is cheap, beautiful and culinarily surprising. On average, you pay €39.88 for a three-course dinner for two, including a liter of wine for six euros. But watch out: even a foodie can seriously get it wrong here. So here are six things you really shouldn’t do when you’re in Albania.
1. Ordering only pizza and pasta
Yes, Italy is just around the corner, but Albania has its own cuisine that demands your respect. Think fërgesë (a summery stew of tomato, cottage cheese, green pepper and garlic), qofte (Albanian meatballs), tavë kosi (lamb in yogurt) and byrek (think Turkish börek, but Albanian-style). Be sure to try the feta salads that appear on every menu too. Fresher, creamier and more flavorful than you will ever find in the Netherlands.
2. Refusing raki
Unlike Turkish raki, Albanian raki is usually made with fruit instead of anise. The similarity: it is at least as strong. Offered raki? Say yes. Even if it’s 11:00 in the morning. It’s the way Albanians show hospitality, and refusing is about as bad as saying you don’t like their mother’s cooking. Just knock it back in one go and smile afterward. (And then coffee. Or bed).
3. Expecting bread with your salad
In Albania, bread does not automatically come with every dish. So if you’re expecting a nice piece of freshly baked bread with your salad: ask for it. Fortunately, it is often free, so as a Dutch person, you’re in luck there. Pair it with local olive oil. It is a standard fixture on the table here.
4. Choosing supermarkets over markets
Visiting supermarkets abroad: always fun. But at the local market, you’ll find the soul of Albanian cuisine. Fresh fruit, homemade cheeses, jars of honey, homemade raki—you’ll find it all there. Usually for next to nothing. Do bring cash, because paying by card is still far from possible everywhere.
5. Thinking everything tastes the same
Albania is small, but has major regional differences. In the north, you eat hearty meat stews; in the south, you taste the sea on your plate: fresh fish, plenty of olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs. Combine that with influences from Greece, Italy and Turkey and you understand why foodies lose their hearts here. Our colleague Louise returned from Albania absolutely thrilled: “The vegetables often come from their own gardens, the feta is homemade and the tomatoes simply melt on your tongue.”
6. Skipping the coffee
Albanians take coffee seriously. Espresso flies across the counter here faster than on an average Italian Monday. And the coffee is good. Order it like the locals do: drink it slowly, chat endlessly, and above all, never get it to go. The best conversations here begin with a cup of black gold. And now that coffee is becoming increasingly expensive here (and Douwe Egberts Douwe Foetsie is what it’s called), you can really indulge here.
In short, let yourself be surprised
Albania may not yet be the first place you think of when it comes to culinary hotspots, but that is exactly what makes it so much fun. No pretensions, no overpriced avocado toast, just good food with a story. And hey, that’s what we love at FavorFlav.
Also read:
- This is what dinner for two costs on vacation in Europe: huge differences
- 10x the grossest dishes in a country, according to the locals
- Summer salad? Forget lettuce—go for watermelon, feta, strawberries and mint!
