If somebody asked what to eat in Albania and there was only time for one answer, it would be byrek. Layers of thin pastry with salty white cheese between them, baked in a tray the size of a bicycle wheel, cut into slices and sold across a counter for a sum that barely registers. Every town has shops that sell nothing else. It is what people eat for breakfast, what they buy on the way to work, and the single most reliable thing on any menu in the country.
What to order
Byrek me djathe, cheese, which is the standard and the way to judge a shop.
Byrek me spinaq, spinach and cheese, which is the other classic.
Byrek me mish, minced meat, heavier and usually spiced.
Byrek me presh, leek, which is underrated.
Byrek me domate, tomato, which is a summer thing.
Byrek me qumesht, a milk and egg version closer to a custard pie, which is dessert.
How the shop works
A counter and an oven, with trays coming out through the morning.
Sold by slice or by weight, with the price written on card.
No table service in most of them; you eat standing or take it away.
Wrapped in paper, which is all the packaging there is.
Cash, almost always.
Closed by the evening, because this is a morning trade.
Where the good ones are
Any residential neighbourhood, in every town, rather than a tourist street.
Near a market, which is where the trade is.
Tirana’s side streets, off the main boulevards, in quantity.
Gjirokaster and Berat, where the bazaar bakeries do it well.
Bus stations, which sounds unpromising and is frequently excellent.
Wherever there is a queue at nine in the morning, which is the only rule that matters.
What to drink with it
Espresso, which is what everybody around you is having.
Ayran or dhalle, a salted yoghurt drink, which is the traditional pairing.
Mountain tea, in winter.
Not much else, because this is a five minute breakfast rather than a meal.
Water, because the cheese is salty.
A second coffee, which is standard practice.
Where this fits in an Albania trip
Breakfast, most days, for a fortnight, at a cost you will not notice.
For the wider picture of what Albanians actually eat, our Albanian food guide covers the ground.
For ordering without meat across the whole country, our Albania vegetarian guide covers the options.
And for the raki, the coffee and the beer that surround all of it, our guide to Albanian drinks culture covers the rest.
The short version
Eat byrek for breakfast every day and it will be the best value of your trip. Buy it at about nine in the morning from a neighbourhood shop with a queue of local people, ask for a piece from the tray that just came out, and start with the plain cheese version to judge the place. Try spinach, leek and the milk one. Drink an espresso or a salted yoghurt with it. And ignore any tray that is still full at three in the afternoon.
