Local Drinks

1. bozë

   Sour-sweet drink of fermented millet or maize flour

   Usage

   A refreshing drink made from millet or maize flour soured with bread dough, with a slightly tart taste. It is thick and drunk alongside sweets. The Albanian version is maize-based and around 1% alcohol. ⚠ It does carry that trace of alcohol, so avoid it if you take none at all

   Grammar Note

   Feminine. Definite "boza"

2. dhallë

   Buttermilk — what is left after the butter is taken out

   Usage

   The part left over from curdled milk or yoghurt once the butter has been removed. It is drunk cold with a little salt, and is the standard partner to meat dishes and byrek, mostly in summer

   Grammar Note

   It is a masculine noun; its definite form is "dhalli"

3. salep

   Hot drink of milk thickened with orchid-root powder

   Usage

   It is made from sugar, milk powder, salep powder, starch, flavouring and vanilla, mixed into hot milk and water and brought to the boil. It is a winter drink, sold hot at stalls and pastry shops; it is thick and usually dusted with cinnamon

4. çaj mali

   Mountain tea, brewed from Sideritis herb

   Usage

   "çaji i malit" is made from plants of the genus Sideritis. It is dried herb gathered in the Albanian mountains, simmered rather than steeped, and usually taken with honey. It has no caffeine, so it works in the evening. Markets sell it in tied bundles

   Grammar Note

   "çaj" is the masculine noun "tea"; "mali" is the indefinite genitive of "mal" (mountain), i.e. "of the mountain". In the definite it becomes "çaji i malit"

5. çaj i zi

   Black tea

   Usage

   Served with sugar, lemon or honey. Asking for just "çaj" can get you a herbal infusion, so add "i zi" when you want black tea

   Grammar Note

   "i zi" is the masculine form of "black"; with a feminine noun it becomes "e zezë" (e.g. "kafe e zezë")

6. kafe turke

   Coffee boiled in a small pot from finely ground beans

   Usage

   The grounds are poured with the coffee, so leave the sludge at the bottom. Sugar goes in before brewing, so say "pa sheqer" (no sugar) or "me pak sheqer" (a little) when you order. In city cafés espresso-style coffee dominates, and plain "kafe" usually gets you an espresso

7. ujë i gazuar

   Sparkling water

   Usage

   Ask for "ujë pa gaz" if you want it still. Restaurants sometimes bring sparkling without asking, so say which you want up front

   Grammar Note

   "ujë" is masculine; its definite form is "uji". "i gazuar" is the masculine adjective. The definite phrase is "uji i gazuar"

8. limonadë

   Lemonade

   Usage

   House-made versions are listed as "limonadë shtëpie". The definite form is "Limonada"

   Grammar Note

   Feminine. Definite "limonada"

9. lëng shege

   Pomegranate juice

   Usage

   From autumn into winter it is pressed to order at street stands. The definite form is "Lëngu i shegës"

   Grammar Note

   "lëng" is a masculine noun meaning juice; its definite form is "lëngu". "shege" is the indefinite genitive of "shegë" (pomegranate). The definite phrase is "lëngu i shegës"

10. lëng portokalli

    Orange juice

    Usage

    To check whether it is freshly squeezed, use "A është lëngu i freskët?" (is the juice fresh?)

    Grammar Note

    "portokalli" is the indefinite genitive of "portokall" (orange), i.e. "of orange". The same pattern gives "lëng molle" (apple juice) and so on

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