An essential component of Gjirokastra history and culture is also the traditional cuisine passed down from generation to generation, not just on the tables of the stone city, but also in the surrounding areas.

Gjirokastra cuisine is incredibly rich in its culinary elements and various tastes. A visit to the different guesthouses offers various flavorsome dishes of old traditions, with OSA-s one of them.

Osa-s as a dish is prepared during the hot period of the year, after the wheat harvest, and is one of the famous zahiretë (stock of eatables) prepared by Gjirokastra hosts for consumption mostly during winter.

Osa making goes through the following steps:

Kneading the dough: For every 100 grams of flour, add an egg, a spoonful of butter, a spoonful of finjë, and a pinch of salt. (Finja is prepared from wood ash. The ash is dipped into water and left to drain. The juice obtained is used in cooking, and making dough, and in various cakes, given its properties to make the dough smooth and have an elastic texture. It is also used for washing clothes, and so on, just because of its likeness to baking soda).

First, the dough is stirred with a fork, and when the mixture stiffens, it is kneaded out, and once leavened, it is worked well into ball-shaped pieces. Finally, it is cut up and dropped into a specific sieve.

Drying the dough: It is best to dry the dough in a dark place, for 30 days. Then it is ready to use.

Gjirokastra has quite a reputation for making OSA which has been passed down from generation to generation by our grandmothers and mothers. It is some sort of a ritual, which is done only in July, at the time of wheat ripening. Usually, this process is habitual of women in their own homes, or when in the “neighbors” company in their leisure time, as a token of thriftiness and the like.

Osa-s can be also cooked with meat broth, more often lamb.

As an exceptionally delicious dish and having captured the attention of local and foreign visitors to enjoy the traditional food of Gjirokastra, it was also included in the menu of the restaurants in the Characteristic Bazaar.