Lakror facts for kids
Lakror with spinach filling
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| Type | pastry (pie) |
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| Place of origin |  Albania |
| Region or state | Korçë region, Pogradec region, Devoll region (Albania) Bitola and Lake Prespa regions (North Macedonia) |
| Main ingredients | flour, oil, lamb, beef, ricotta, feta, cabbage, nettle, spinach, orache, squash, leek, sorrel, tomato, pepper, eggs, milk |
Lakror (Gheg Albanian: Laknor, Arbëreshë Albanian: Lakruar) is a traditional and common regional Albanian pie dish made with different fillings consisting of various vegetables or meat.
Lakror is associated mainly with Korçë and its surrounding areas and considered a specialty by local Albanians. The pie is made in some other parts of southern Albania. Lakror is also consumed by Albanian communities in south-western North Macedonia, and by Albanians abroad or in the diaspora in places like the US and Australia. The pie is sometimes called a type of byrek pastry or compared to an American pie.
Etymology
The term lakror is derived from the Albanian word lakër (cabbage). The vegetable was probably the original foundation of the pastry dish.
Preparation
Traditionally Albanian women have been involved in preparing a lakror.
The preparation of lakror is a hands on process that involves working and rolling the filo dough into thin layers, later opening the pastry and placing it in a tin, or pan. The gjellë (filling) is prepared separately by boiling minced vegetables. A variety of fillings can be made from different vegetables such as cabbage, nettle, spinach, orache, squash, or those with a strong flavour like onions and leeks. Other fillings are made from meat such as beef, lamb or involve combining ingredients like tomato and onion, tomato and pepper, spinach with cheese or with eggs, milk and (olive) oil. Sizable portions of gjellë is added to the pastry.
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Mixing flour, water and a pinch of salt to make dough
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Working the dough by hand
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Making kulaç (dough balls)
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Rolling out kulaç with a okllai (rolling pin) into small petë (flat dough layer)
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Placing oil on each small petë
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Assembling 5 petë into stack (can go to 10). This process creates pastry flakiness when baked.
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Petë stack pressed and bound with a criss-cross pattern
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Petë stack rolled out to make one large petë
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Petë becoming larger during rolling process
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Petë placed atop an oiled tepsi (pan) using rolling pin
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Petë adjusted within pan
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Gjellë (filling) added atop bottom petë
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Second petë, slightly larger, made for top
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Second petë placed atop pan
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Top petë adjusted within pan
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Oil added on top to create crispiness when baked
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Excess pastry of both petë is bound into thembra (knotted crust)
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Lakror ready for baking
Apart from traditional lakror, there are other variations such as brushtul lakror made from eggs, butter and a filling with feta and cottage cheese.
Among Orthodox Albanians, Lakror is also made for commemorating St. Basil's day. In some Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) communities of southern Italy, the dish is called lakruar and prepared with a filling of cheese, chicken, mixed pork and sheep meat and cinnamon.
Organised by the Korçë municipality, an annual Lakror Festival (Albanian: Festa e Lakrorit) is held in Korçë or sometimes in a village of the wider area. As a celebration of summer and Albanian cuisine, the festival is attended by locals and tourists. Many lakrors are prepared and then baked in a Saç, a cooking utensil that is covered atop with hot embers.
