Food Archives - The Balkanista

A trip to Permet, guided by the Vjosa

June 2, 2022June 2, 2022The Balkanista

“Have you visited Permet yet? You really should!” is something I have heard many times over the last five years, admittedly mainly from those who come from the city, but it was enough to stoke my interest. So, when I saw that a music, food, and culture festival, Vjosa n’Fest was set to take place […]

Quality picks

How I changed my life in 365 days

May 25, 2022May 25, 2022The Balkanista

Just over a year ago, I was sat in a cardiologist’s office, receiving a stern telling off. He told me that at age 34, there was no reason I should be seated in front of him and that if I didn’t change my lifestyle habits, I was headed to an early grave or at least […]

Albanian beekeepers are not buzzing over changes to the law

April 27, 2022April 27, 2022The Balkanista

One local beekeeper told Exit that he cautiously welcomes the news. “It is good to have some regulation in the industry, particularly if we want to sell products to a wider market. I am just worried about those who may struggle to meet the financial demands of compliance,” he explained. But another, with his hives […]

Agritourism Huqi- a maze of leaves and lights around a picturesque lake

September 16, 2020September 16, 2020The Balkanista

Tucked away down a dusty road, amongst the hills of Manze and a stone’s throw from Gjiri Lalzit is Agritourism Huqi. A 25-minute drive from Tirana, this sprawling restaurant sits on the shores of an artificial lake, which is in turn surrounded by olive trees and rolling hills brimming with freshly grown produce. Huqi has […]

Dinner at Peme e Jetes, Durres

August 15, 2020August 15, 2020The Balkanista

Located just outside of Durres, on a hill surrounded by rolling fields is the Peme e Jetes organic farm and agrotourism. The entrance is lined with fig trees and vines and as you drive down the road, you can see the farm and its many animals below you. Owned by the Bujari family, they grow […]

Agr.al - Linking Rural Farmers with Urban Consumers

July 29, 2020July 29, 2020The Balkanista

If you travel around Albania, you cannot fail to miss the abundance of farmland. Rolling fields, fertile plains, and pastures home to all different kinds of crops. Driving through almost any part of the country, you are also sure to notice farmers by the side of the road selling all manner of fresh fruit and […]

A weekend at Agroturizem Gjepali

June 26, 2020June 26, 2020The Balkanista

Located in the Shijak region of central Albania, around 45 minutes drive from Tirana, Agroturizem Gjepali is one of 14 certified agrotourism business in the country. Owned by the Gjepali family and built on land that has been worked by them for six generations, they bring decades, if not centuries of expertise. Prior to communism, […]

A journey to Kosovo

November 9, 2019November 9, 2019The Balkanista

A trip to Kosovo has long been on my agenda, after all one cannot call oneself the Balkanista and only have visited Albania and Macedonia so far. Autumn is perhaps my favourite season in this part of the world due to the abundance of rich colours that punctuate the landscape, combined with a faint smell […]

Welcome to Mrizi i Zanave

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019The Balkanista

I first visited Mrizi i Zanave when I was around six and a half months pregnant, during a small window of good health in between extended periods of bed rest. Since then, we have returned and vowed to go again and again. To me, it is like a paradise- clean country air, eagles circling overhead, […]

How to make Hajvar

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019The Balkanista

After a recent visit to Macedonia to visit some of my partner’s family, I discovered a new and wonderful edible treat. Hajvar is a relish made from red peppers and it is found on any self-respecting Albanians breakfast, lunch, or dinner table. Typically made before to the winter, it is preserved in jars to eat […]

Category: Food

A trip to Permet, guided by the Vjosa

Quality picks

How I changed my life in 365 days

Albanian beekeepers are not buzzing over changes to the law

Agritourism Huqi- a maze of leaves and lights around a picturesque lake

Dinner at Peme e Jetes, Durres

Agr.al - Linking Rural Farmers with Urban Consumers

A weekend at Agroturizem Gjepali

A journey to Kosovo

Welcome to Mrizi i Zanave

How to make Hajvar

Categories

The fight to protect the Vjosa continues as European scientists visit Albania

Why am I living in Albania?

German Photographer to Display Albanian Retrospective in Shkoder

The Trials and Tribulations of Opening Albania’s First Cat Shelter