Albanian Food Glossary

Dolma Me Vaj: rice and pine nuts (sometimes with ground lamb), seasoned with mint or cinnamon, and used as a stuffing for a variety of vegetables (e.g., peppers, tomatoes, zucchini), and oven-baked.

Dukagjin: beverage of grape juice flavored with sugar and mustard.

Ematur: cake made with almonds, cut into diamond-shaped wedges.

Hardic: a drink made from wild berries.

Kabuni: a sweet dish made with raisins, cinnamon, and rice. Used as a side dish.

Kafee: coffee; almost always refers to Turkish coffee.

Kos: Albanian yogurt made from goat's or ewe's milk.

Kungull: squash.

Kungull Me Kos: pieces of squash, batter-dipped and deep-fried then served with a garlic yogurt sauce.

Lakruar: a type of pizza made with vegetables, well seasoned and topped with cheese.

Meze: appetizers.

Moussaka: a baked casserole of layered vegetables, or vegetables and meats (classic version is eggplant and ground lamb). Of Greek origin.

Orme: an appetizer drink made from fermented cabbage, similar to the juice from sauerkraut.

Pelte: little cakes made with cornstarch and molasses, flavored with lemon.

Pilaf: a dish based on rice, which may include only nuts, raisins, and cinnamon, or almost any variety of vegetable, meats, and legumes. Of Turkish origin.

Quofte: meatballs.

Quofte Me Mente: meatballs made from ground lamb, fragrant with mint and cinnamon.

Raki: brandy distilled from grapes.

Raki Manash: brandy distilled and flavored with mulberries.

Revani Me Kos: simple sponge or nut cake finished by pouring hot, spiced syrup over, then cooling and cutting into diamond shapes.

Sille: afternoon refreshment, which may be either tea or Turkish coffee, sometimes served with fresh fruits or sweet pastries.

Supa Ves Limua: a rich soup based on chicken stock with rice, and tangy with freshly beaten eggs and lemon juice. Almost identical to the Greek Avgolemono.

Tarator: chilled refreshing soup of yogurt, with chopped cucumbers or other fresh vegetables as garnish.