I will confess to not knowing a whole lot about Albania. I knew it was in the southern half of eastern Europe. I had to look it up on a map to place it near Greece and on the Adriatic Sea. These breakfasts should be educational!

Aside from the rugged terrain and beautiful views, what of course really interests us is breakfast.

Cornmeal in the hot pot, getting hot from heat.

First, we toasted cornmeal and a few other dry powders in a soup pot until it changed colors, then added boiling water to the already super-hot pot. The recipe warned of/promised “crazy danger” but we managed to avoid serious scalding. And then, at even more risk to our personal health, we added hot oil to this beast mush. Again, there was much survival.

After it all came together, it was a pleasantly smooth porridge with a toasty smell and plenty of fat. Adding feta and raw sweet onions finished it off.

kačamak

The verdict: filling, satisfying breakfast, if a little time-consuming. The porridge could probably be accompanied by any number of other toppings. The onions and feta give it a punch but are balanced by the comforting cornmeal. We may have to revisit kačamak when we get back to the Balkans. Stay tuned.

Next up, we’ll get something a little sweeter when we eat breakfast in Algeria.