“Albania brings a huge amount of energy and a unique set of local flavors to the Mediterranean partnerships. I think that Albania has a lot to say on coexistence that makes food a means of enjoyment, peace and prosperity,” says Prime Minister Rama
TIRANA, May 7 – Under the local hospitality slogan, “My house belongs to God and to guests” Albania is inviting visitors at the 2015 Milan Expo to get to know its Mediterranean food, story and mystery.
Albania is participating in the Bio-Mediterraneum Cluster, offering international visitors a great opportunity to experience its natural beauty and cuisine, but also, the productivity and creativity of its regions, its history and particular products, organizers say.
“Albania brings a huge amount of energy and a unique set of local flavors to the Mediterranean partnerships. I think that Albania has a lot to say on coexistence that makes food a means of enjoyment, peace and prosperity. From my point of view, the Mediterranean represents a distinctive place that can contribute to the sustainable nourishment of new generations, bringing values that can be ‘absorbed’ and adopted also through delicious flavors,” Prime Minister Edi Rama has said.
With its participation at Expo Milano 2015, Albania is strongly committed to the ambitions of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” and create partnerships that will promote Albania’s traditional cultural identity and develop its agriculture and organic farming, with new measures of production and trade, Albanian representatives say.
Given its geographical position and mild climate, the cuisine of Albania represents a fusion of Mediterranean, Balkan and European influences, offering high nutritional value and unique flavors. The cuisine of this ancient land is rich and various as its history. Its gastronomy can be nominally divided according to its northern, central and southern regions, each offering traditional specialties and each with their own folklore. In Albania, food means pleasure, culture, conviviality and hospitality, a sacred virtue in Albania. Albanians say “my house is the house of my guest” and hospitality has been always be related to the idea of food, hearth and house.
Albania offers visitors the opportunity to know and experience its natural beauty and its cuisine: the result of Mediterranean, European and Balkan influences, but also the creativity of its regions, its history and its typical products, traditional and folklore, in the sign of friendliness and hospitality that has always characterized the Albanian people.
“We aim to uphold our food traditions that are deeply connected to our history” says the Commissioner General of Albania for Expo Milano 2015, Manjola Gjoni. “Ours is a country that has for centuries been a crossroads of cultures, both western and eastern, and for this reason we enjoy a variety of foods which have united Albanians, Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics alike all around at the same table. This example of religious coexistence is a value that we wish to promote at Expo Milano 2015,” she adds.
Expo Milano 2015 is the Universal Exhibition that Milan, Italy, will host from May 1 to October 31, 2015. Over this six-month period, Milan will become a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries will show the best of their technology that offers a concrete answer to a vital need: being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium. In addition to the exhibitor nations, the Expo also involves international organizations, and expects to welcome over 20 million visitors to its 1.1 million square meters of exhibition area.
“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” is the core theme of Expo Milano 2015.
