Tavoli | Albanian & Mediterranean Recipes

The Traditional Clay Cooking Pots of Gojan, Albania

*Vorba- Traditional clay cooking pots from the village of Gojan, Albania*

Researching the ingredients and methods used in traditional Albanian cooking, I was both surprised and delighted when I stumbled across the captivating tradition of vorba making in Gojan, a small village in the North of Albania. Google maps depicted it only a short drive from the village of Tuç, where my husband is originally from and where his family lived before moving to Tirana. My excitement reached a crescendo when I discovered that Cesk’s Mum is actually from Gojan and that her family home is still there.

Having planned a journey to Tuç this summer, it only felt right to stop at Gojan to explore my Mother In Law’s family history and research this ancient tradition of vorba making further.

A vorba is a cauldron-looking ceramic cooking pot that has been created in Gojan for centuries. I haven’t been able to find any information on exactly how long this craft dates back however there’s no doubt this is engrained within the history of the area and is by no means modern. The tradition has been passed from generation to generation and is steeped in a history that blends the mountainous terrain of Gojan and the craftsmanship of traditional Albanian pottery.
I had imagined the village to be something of an easy to navigate cluster of homes, with the creation of the vorba at the centre of it all. However, as with many things in Albania, undiscovered or local secret really lives up to the name.

*Sacks of the processed clay from the mountains of Gojan, used for making vorba*

The faint sound of bells grew louder as Cesk’s Mum rolled down the window in preparation as the car slowed to a halt.

A slight, elderly lady wearing a traditional village bandana and carrying a smooth crook of olive wood approached the car as Cesk’s Mum introduced herself and explained her history in the village. The lady’s goats busied themselves by the roadside as the whereabouts of the ‘vorba man’ was discussed and numbers were exchanged.

After handing us a handful of sweets, the phone number of the man in question and her best wishes, we set off again. Having not understood most of the conversation due to it being in a local dialect, my confusion overcame me as we drove away. Cesk explained that the ‘vorba man’ had moved to Tirana to improve production and be closer to his family, ironically just down the road from where our house is. He travels back to Gojan to collect the clay from the mountains but most of what he does now is in the city.

Having anticipated meeting the vorba artisan for months, my excitement sunk a little to feeling that the 15 minute drive from our house in Tirana wasn’t quite the adventure I had in mind. However when we arrived at his home a few days later, any doubts immediately vanished as he opened the metal gate and I caught a glimpse of the workshop behind him.

Situated on the open bottom floor on his family home, Lek Gjini Gojan’s workshop is a fascinating hybrid of tradition and technology. A large, state of the art kiln sits proudly in the heart of the space, surrounded by the process of his craft. Dusty sacks of natural clay from the mountains of Gojan, a potter’s wheel, shaping tools and stacks upon stacks of pottery in various states of creation. The humble setup only made the pile of finished pieces even more fascinating to me. As well as the traditional vorba pots, there were also other trays and dishes of various shades of clay, shapes and sizes. Each completely unique from the other.

For over 55 years, Lek Gjini has been practicing his craft; passed to him from a long line of artisans in his family. The ease at which he handles his tools and ceramics is testimony to his experience and visiting his studio, which truly feels like an extension of his home, was like visiting a long-lost friend.

As he shared a raki with my Father In Law, I set about carefully selecting which vorba I wanted. Each was unique and sifting through them and noticing all of the little differences was a reminder of the time and care that each one had received. Having not been able to restrict myself to a vorba alone, I also picked up two small oven dishes that I knew would be perfect for some of my favourite traditional recipes.

Back in London, my vorba and two dishes have become some of my most prized kitchen items. There is a unique journey and history that I’ve built with them; from the mountains of Gojan, to the studio in Tirana and then all the way back to London. It feels a far cry from the usual transactional way I tend to gather most other things for my kitchen.

*Vorba ready to be dipped in the final stage of creation*

If you’re travelling to Albania and are eager to get one of these for yourself, you can also buy them from the Pazari i Ri Market in central Tirana. There are a few steps you’ll need to follow in order to prepare your vorba for cooking so I’m going to share them here for you. It’s worth saying that I use these to cook over an open fire or gas and then the oven for the small bowls, I’m not too sure you can use this on an induction hob so keep that in mind.

Here is how you need to prepare your vorba for cooking;

Step 1: Wash your vorba inside and out with a mild detergent and gentle sponge.

Step 2: Dry inside and out with a clean tea towel.

Step 3: Fill the vorba with water and mix in a few tablespoons of plain flour. Bring to the boil on a medium-low heat. This process will take a while and it can be a bit smoky but don’t worry, that’s totally normal.

Step 4: When the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, remove from the heat and tip away the floury water. Leave the vorba to cool before washing carefully again as in the first step.

Step 5: Dry completely and then they are ready to use!

Vorba aren’t just a fun way to cook or a dramatic way to serve food but they also enhance the flavour of dishes in a really unique way! As these are used mainly for slow cooking, as the dish simmers away, the clay adds a depth and smokiness to the food. In something like a tasqebap (a traditional Albanian slow-cooked beef stew) this adds such a beautiful note to the dish that you can’t replicate with any other cooking method.

As well as meats, beans and vegetables are also delicious cooked in a vorba. The simple bean dish fasule, which is beans cooked in a tomato sauce, is taken to the next level with the depth of flavour that the vorba provides. Or a slow-cooked shredded red cabbage is given an edge with a touch of smokiness, that works perfectly alongside roasts.

*Traditional Albanian tasqebap, a slow-cooked beef stew, cooked in a vorba*

To celebrate cooking with traditional vorba, I’m sharing my recipe for tasqebap; a traditional Albanian beef stew that is cooked over a few hours until the beef is really tender. This recipe always goes down an absolute treat whenever I serve it up so I know you are going to love it too!

You can find the recipe here on our Traditional Albanian recipe page.

I want everyone to have a chance of making this dish, even if you don’t have a vorba at home. If that sounds like you, feel free to use a casserole dish instead.

If you’re interested in learning more about the traditional craft of vorba, or you’d like to learn more about the recipes you can create in them, feel free to reach out to me on jess@tavoli.co.uk. I’m always open to any recipe requests you would like to see!

VORBA

FLIJA