Unexpected Dinner Guests

Have you ever hosted an unexpected guest?

I've been that type of guest. More than once!

A few months after I first moved to Albania in 2001, I went to someone’s home for a visit. Almost as soon as I entered, one of the children scurried out the back door.

An hour later, what I thought was just coffee and cookies turned into a full meal!

Someone later explained to me, “Josh, in order for them to provide their best for you, they must go out to buy—often on credit—the food and drink that they are too poor to keep at home.”

Their sacrifice they made deeply touched me.

Over the years, I've enjoyed:

• Wedding celebrations that lasted until 3 in the morning

• Birthday parties with 30 people gathered in a living room

• New Years. The biggest holiday of the year. We celebrate with fireworks!

I've come to love ...

• goat cheese

• olives

• byrek

• Albanian meatballs and stuffed peppers!

But I've never forgotten the generosity of that first meal.

The roots of Albanian hospitality run deep. There are century-old traditions, most recently codified in the Canon of Lek Dukagjin about 500 years ago. The Canon gives instructions for everything from rules for a child's godfather to avenging blood to hospitality. The section on hospitality begins with a saying every Albanian knows.

"The house of the Albanian belongs first to God and then to the guest."

The Canon describes how to show hospitality for different types of guests. This section also includes that the guest puts his gun down when he arrives. Why?

By receiving the person into his home, the master of the house has extended protection for as long as the guest is there. A close friend in Albania told me the story:

"Multiple generations ago, our ancestor murdered a man. He fled and went throughout Albania until he found the head of a village who would protect them. Once under their protection, he knew that he did not need to be afraid anymore."

Some of you familiar with the ancient Hebrew writings may remember a similar custom that a writer reflects on when he says, "You prepare me a table in the presence of my enemies."

Whether you are enjoying oven-baked byrek in Gjirokaster or a wine tour in Berat or simply sipping a cafe in town, we invite you to ask people in Albania to tell you about their stories.

Looking for some conversations starters about foods and stories told around the table. Try these:

⮕ What was one of your favorite foods growing up?

⮕ Who sat around your table?

⮕ Who came as guests?

⮕ What stories did the guests tell?

⮕ And what stories did your family tell to the guests?