Ballakume and walnut porridge: sweet Albanian traditions

Albanian hospitality, mikpritja, almost always comes with something sweet. Two favourites from our own table are ballakume and walnut porridge.

Ballakume

Ballakume are soft, crumbly cookies from Elbasan, made with cornmeal, butter, sugar and eggs. They are the traditional treat for Dita e Verës, the Summer Day festival on 14 March that welcomes the end of winter. In our photo they share the table with red-dyed eggs and the first spring flowers.

[CLIENT TO ADD — a family tip for making ballakume, or where guests can taste them in Elbasan.]

Walnut porridge

Walnuts appear in many Albanian sweets. This walnut porridge is cooked slowly and served from a clay dish.

[CLIENT TO ADD — the dish's Albanian name, where it comes from, and when it is made.]

And of course, byrek

If you prefer savoury, read our guide to byrek and lakror, Albania's layered pies.

Taste it on a tour

We can add a home-cooking visit or a sweet-making session to any tailor-made trip. Just mention it when you plan your trip.