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Ballokume

Alternative names	Ballakume, Kulaç me finj
Type	Cookie
Place of origin	Albania
Region or state	Elbasan
Main ingredients	Corn flour, butter, sugar, eggs
Variations	Milk, ashes
Media: Ballokume

Ballokume is an Albanian cookie originating in the city of Elbasan, which is popular throughout Albania and Albanian communities. It is traditionally eaten on Dita e Verës, an Albanian pagan holiday celebrated on 14 March. It is sometimes called kulaç me finj, as it may optionally contain finj, a mixture of ashes from a wood stove boiled in water.

It consists of butter, sugar, eggs, and cornflour. It is traditionally kneaded in a copper bowl, which is supposed to improve the texture of the dough. The dough must be kneaded vigorously, which is why the men of the house are often involved in the ballokume preparation.

Etymology

Tradition holds that the name comes from a 16-century Ottoman ruler of Elbasan who, after having tasted a small cake made from corn flour cooked in a wood fire, exclaimed: “Është ba si llokume!” (“It’s as good as a lokum!“), the word ballokume resulting by contracting this sentence.

See also

• Cuisine of Albania
• Dita e Verës

References

1. ^ Wilson, Thomas M. (November 30, 2023). Europe: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9798216171409.
2. ^ "Albanian Ballokume Recipe | Travel Food Atlas". 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
3. Jacob, Jeanne; Ashkenazi, Michael (January 15, 2014). The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9798216168324.
4. ^ "Dita e Verës: Cooking ballokume with Mirela of Papare The Beauty of Small Things for welcoming Spring". The Albania Insider. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
5. Elbasani Ballokume - traditional sweet Archived 2020-03-21 at the Wayback Machine Monarch
6. ^ "Ballokume Elbasani Authentic Recipe". Taste Atlas. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
7. ^ Abitbol, Vera (2 November 2019). "Albania: Ballokume". 196 flavors. Retrieved 24 January 2020.

External links

• Ballokume recipe - Albanian Way

Topics related to the Albanian Cuisine

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