Papare

Papare is a simple Albanian dish that is primarily made with small pieces of stale bread fried in oil or butter until nicely colored and crispy. The dish can be made in sweet or savory versions, depending on individual preferences. Sugar and water are added to the bread pieces in the sweet version, and the whole thing is cooked until fragrant and caramelized. The savory papare, on the other hand, uses crumbled and salted curd cheese known as gjize in Albanian, or feta cheese, and (optionally) meat brine or cheese brine for additional flavor. Oregano, mint, garlic, or spring onions are often added on top of the fried bread to enhance the flavor of this simple dish even further. In Albania, papare is a typical breakfast or dinner meal, but it is also consumed as a snack. This dish is also known as bukëvale in other parts of the country. At Prespa Albanian weddings, bukëvale is a traditional dish of oven-baked cubes of bread which have previously been soaked in butter, and the dish is then served to the bride on the morning following her wedding night.