Tirana: Cooking Class & Traditional Food Tasting with Wine

Summary

Albanian recipes, home kitchens, laughter and shared stories in Tirana

You’ll roll up your sleeves in a real Tirana kitchen, learning to make lakror pie, tave kosi lamb bake, and sweet sheqerpare biscuits alongside locals. Taste homemade wine and raki as you share stories around the table. Expect laughter, new friends, and flavors you’ll remember long after you leave Albania.

What’s the experience like?

The funny thing is, we almost missed the place — I walked right past the little doorway twice before noticing the smell of baking pastry drifting out. Our host, Erion, waved us in with flour on his hands and this big grin like he’d been waiting for us all morning. There were already a couple of people gathered around the kitchen table, sleeves rolled up, someone nervously laughing about how thin their dough was supposed to be for lakror. It felt like walking into someone’s family kitchen more than any “class”.

We started with coffee (strong, almost smoky) and Erion told us about his grandmother making tave kosi back when Tirana barely had traffic lights. He showed us how to layer the lamb and yogurt — I kept forgetting which spice went where, but he just shrugged and said every family does it a little different anyway. The main keyword here is Albanian cooking class Tirana but honestly it didn’t feel like a class at all; more like being let in on someone’s secret. At one point I tried to pronounce “sheqerpare” and got everyone laughing — apparently my accent means “sugar wall” instead of “sugar coin”.

Lunch was what we made: flaky lakror with spinach so fresh you could still smell the earth on it, that creamy tave kosi bubbling in its clay dish, plus those sweet crumbly biscuits that melt as soon as you touch them. Homemade wine appeared from somewhere (tart and cloudy) and then a tiny glass of raki that burned but left this warm feeling in my chest. It was raining outside by then but inside it was noisy and bright — people swapping stories about their own families’ food traditions. I still think about that table sometimes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cooking and tasting traditional Albanian food

• Arrive at cooking class location
• Learn to prepare Lakror pie
• Cook Tave Kosi dish
• Taste traditional appetizers and beverages
• Prepare Sheqerpare dessert
• Enjoy local stories and gossips

Top questions

What dishes do you cook in this Tirana cooking class?

You’ll learn to prepare lakror (a layered pie), tave kosi (lamb baked with yogurt), and sheqerpare (sweet sugar biscuits).

Is lunch included in the Albanian cooking class?

Yes, lunch includes everything you prepare during the class along with appetizers and snacks from the house.

Do they serve wine or other drinks during the food tasting?

You’ll taste homemade wine and traditional raki during your meal.

Where is the cooking class located in Tirana?

The class takes place right in the heart of Tirana at a local home kitchen.

Are vegetarian options available for this cooking experience?

The main dishes traditionally include lamb or veal; check ahead if you need vegetarian adaptations.

Is this Albanian cooking class wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas are wheelchair accessible and service animals are allowed.

How long does the food experience last?

The exact duration isn’t listed but expect several hours including prep, cooking, eating, and stories.

What’s included in the price of this Tirana food tour?

Bottled water, lunch with two main courses, appetizers/snacks, homemade wine/raki tasting, coffee or tea, plus all ingredients and kitchen use.

What’s included

Your day includes bottled water on arrival, hands-on use of kitchen tools and fresh ingredients for every dish you make together, a full lunch featuring two main courses plus snacks from your hosts’ own table, tastings of homemade wine and raki throughout the meal, and finally coffee or tea before heading back out into Tirana’s streets.