Dan's Grand Adventures: The foods of Albania

Current favorite: Fli (delicate layer upon layer of crepe-like pancakes cooked for hours by the cousin of our Valbone Guest House owner)

The food up in the mountains is much heavier and more filling than we have had in other places. Still most meals consisting of cheese, sausage, yogurt and at least one, if not many types of peppers.

In Sarande we had sausage with green beans and yogurt. It was filling but a little lighter because it was 9 Thousand degrees on the beach.

Then in Gjirokaster things had more of a spinach/vegetable base...we had muskata (a sort of pastery layering with vegetables like lasagna... Sort of) and we had baked spinach with egg, peppers and cheese and then the top right pic... Stuffed peppers with rice and cheese and yum!

In Tirana we had meat... All of the meat. Albanian meatballs: that actually look more like small hamburger patties for sliders.

Spicy sausage and white sausage and the best one... Kosovo sausage. Originally from Kosovo and made with spices that are awesome. A little like paprika and chili powder maybe. Either way.. Very good.

In the mountains of Valbone meals are heavier and heartier.

This polenta dish with little hidden pockets of cheese and peppers. We have actually had a fair amount of fresh salads too. All things grown in their gardens!

The meats have all been fresh too... Fresher than I like to think about... Being that we are living in the farm (eeeeek)

There is always cheese and then the yogurt with peppers. At the Villa Dini Guest House we have had the best of this yet... It's like they infused the yogurt with the peppers it's amazing.