Byrek and lakror: Albania's savoury pies

Ask anyone in Albania about byrek and you will get a recipe, a story and probably an invitation to lunch. These layered savoury pies are everyday food: breakfast from a bakery window, a picnic on a mountain road, the centre of the table on a holiday.

Byrek

Byrek is made with thin sheets of pastry, layered or rolled, and filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat, leeks or tomatoes and onions. In towns you will find it in small bakeries (byrektore) from early morning, often eaten with a glass of yoghurt drink.

Lakror

Lakror is the home-made, often wood-fire-baked cousin from the south and southeast, especially around Korça. The sheets are rolled by hand, the filling is generous, and it is traditionally baked in a round tray under a metal lid covered in embers.

Where to try them

[CLIENT TO ADD — favourite bakeries or villages where guests can taste or learn to make byrek and lakror.]

Taste it on a tour

We can add a byrek-making session or a village lunch to any tailor-made trip. Just mention it when you plan your trip.