"A Light Lunch" . . . Albanian Style

The 4th Entree of the Afternoon
by Davidi

The prosecutors of Elbasan, all 23 of them, asked me to lunch.  A short ride took us to a restaurant, nestled beside the wall of an Ottoman castle.  I was pleased to see a light lunch including a large plate of salad (tossed and slaw), a plate of boiled eggs and sheep cheese, a plate of ham slices covered in olives and more sheep cheese and grilled vegetables.  It was terrific.

This was soon augmented by "fergese" (organ meats boiled in yogurt and sheep's cheese), broccoli in sheep's cheese, and meatballs floating in sheep's milk.  I was soon full.

The first indication that the lunch might not be so "light" came after the prosecutor beside me finished his plate.  He leaned over to me and said "I wonder what we are having for lunch."

When the real lunch arrived, it was something resembling "chicken fried steak" with a meat pie on the side, and oven baked sheep cheese on the other side.  I wasn't hungry, but I ate it, and it was scrumptious.

When the waiter cleared my plate, he asked that I lean back so he could put down my lunch.  The new plate contained a steak, french fries and (surely you've figured this out by now!) sheep's cheese.  I eventually identified another object on my plate as a chicken breast on a large stick with ham in the middle.  I was told "Buft Mire" (bon appetite).  They looked at me strangely when I asked if we had moved to having dinner.  I slowly cleared my plate, but held on to it, afraid that someone would have something more somewhere in the kitchen.

Eating with friends in Albania is a little like eating at your Grandmother's house.  The food keeps on coming, and you must eat it, smile and express admiration.  The food is very good and especially fresh, so it is mostly an easy task, but I was really hoping the end had arrived.

My nightmare came true.  Here came huge chunks of lamb in bowls of rice.  I distracted my hosts, made excuses and talked about how good it looked.  They wondered aloud about dessert. (Thankfully, it was fresh fruit)

Albanians are usually thiner than Americans, but I don't know why.  Perhaps they don't eat as much processed food, and avoid refined sugar and sweeteners.  My theory, is that they foist off most of the food on diplomats.