Byrek: It is a typical Albanian dish and exists in countless variations. It is made with layers of homemade pasta. The layers are much more subtle than those used for the Italian lasagna.

It must be done layer by layer, alternating the pasta with vegetables (chicory, leeks, cabbage, etc.), often accompanied by minced meat, rice or cheese. Everything is then placed in a round baking pan and baked (preferably in a wood oven).

The byrek can be eated either down the street or at home. At the restaurants you can choose to fill it of only vegetables, plain cheese or meat. A variation to byrek is the nice quméshtor, with only two layers and with milk, butter, cheese and cottage cheese. Sometimes sugar is added and thus becomes a sweet. In Vlora when you think about byrek you mean vegetable byrek, which is called the valonese lakror. The valoneses are also convinced of preparing and eating one of the best quméshtor of all Albania. Preparation is the classic one, but is claimed greater attention to the quality of basic ingredients (milk, cheese, yoghurt, vegetables, meat).

Vegetable soup: Practically are used all the types of vegetables: carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers etc., boiled in water with salt, olive oil, onion and sometimes a bit of tomato sauce, or with broth meat (lamb, veal) previously prepared. At the end you add spices like bay leaf, black pepper, parsley and served hot.

Bean soup: It is a simple dish: beans are boiled with onions, tomato sauce, a chili and sometimes by adding a little meat. It was a quick and cheap dish eaten by many families Albanians during communism.

Roasted meat: It was (and is nowadays) the main Albanian dish (in terms of energy and flavor). Given the excellent quality of sheep meat and beef meat of Albania, this dish is very appreciated. It is prepared spit-roasting the whole lamb by turning over the coals, or baked. A true delicacy is considered the lamb (or the goat) boiled in milk into a container of aluminum.

The roasted meat of Vlora is one of the best in the whole country. The proximity to the sea and the quality of the grazing give to the valonese meat a very particular taste. Famous is the Lamb of Karaburun and of mountains around the city, which has no equal in the whole country. To underscore the undeniable goodness of the meat in the area, valonese people mention the fact that the Albanian shepherds exchange a veal against three Macedonian veals, during the barters with Macedonian colleagues.

Yogurt: One of the most common foods in the country. It is consumed in large quantities to accompany the meat dishes and other dishes. In Vlora is produces an excellent yogurt, is different from that known in Europe because it is slightly acid and must be consumed only fresh (maximum one day after preparation).

Sources: valona.altervista.org