NY Folklore Offers Free Albanian Food Demonstration

SCHENECTADY– New York Folklore is pleased to announce a demonstration of traditional Albanian food by Vera Kita on March 19th at 1 pm at Noteworthy Resources (930 Broadway) in Albany, NY. The demonstration will feature Byrek, a stuffed pastry that can be savory or sweet. Byreck is eaten year-round, but especially on New Year’s.

  
Vera spends an average of two hours a day cooking. She makes most of her food from scratch, including butter, yogurt, and bread. In addition to cooking, Vera breaks down animals and fish caught by her husband and maintains a large garden which she harvests for her cooking. She documents her cooking on her Instagram @tradite_guzhine_vera.

She learned much of her cooking from her family while living in Albania. Vera moved
to Albany County in 2014 with her family, became a citizen in 2019, and continues to live in the Capital Region with her husband and two children. The Capital Region hosts a sizeable community of Albanians, mostly from the Korçë region, like Vera. 

This demonstration is part of New York Folklore’s ongoing project “What’s Cooking Capital District?” The project highlights food and foodways traditions found in the greater Capital Region of New York and is supported by HumanitiesNY.  

The March 19th event is brought to you in conjunction with Noteworthy Resources, whose mission is to empower communities and make supportive holistic resources accessible through educational workshops, community events, support groups, and skateboarding. Noteworthy Resources is at 930 Broadway, Suite 1, Albany, NY 1220.

For more information about this event, please contact Anne Rappaport Berliner at 518-346-7008 or
arappaport@arappaportnyfolklore.org.

New York Folklore is a statewide cultural services organization for folk and traditional culture in New York State. Its headquarters is located at 129 Jay Street, Schenectady, where it hosts offices, a retail shop, and a gallery with changing exhibitions open to the public.