During a trip to Tirana many years ago, I stood in vain amongst meatballs, coco-bakers and pastry shops. In those years, like the majority, I thought that the liver, which was chopped and fried in oil, was of Albanian origin.
I later learned that this information was wrong.
Namely, Albanian liver is not a meal coming from Albania, but this name has been given because it is a meal favored by Albanians.
The Albanians were first brought to Istanbul in 1468 and were placed in Arnavutköy at the edge of the Bosporus today.
Arnavutköy was not a place where such luxurious restaurants, taverns and coffees were at that time. It was one of the poor villages where workers lived. Just like Kuruçeşme and Ortaköy!
Since the Albanians were a master stone worker, the Ottoman had entrusted them to the sidewalks of Istanbul. They made pavers with stones and hammers with their hammers.
That day is the day, the pavement made with cobblestone is called “Cobblestone”.
Of course, not all immigrants were stone workers. Those who did not have this ability also decided on porterhood.
In those years, offal was brought to the Galata Bridge by boats from Sütlüce where slaughterhouses were located and sent to the shops from there.
The distributors were Albanian porters. They carried the lungs they ridden back to the shops.
Much later, this job remained for porters from Bayburt.
I recently read Yıldız Cıbıroğlu’s book called “Kitchens in Istanbul”. A valuable book of interviews and drawings about the kitchen.
There was an interview with Orhan Sizin, the owner of “Your Liver”, one of the oldest lungs in Istanbul. I also found a lot of interesting information about Albanian Liver.
As told, the porters were promoted to salesmanship after a while. They hung offal in the poles they took on their shoulders and started selling neighborhood neighborhoods.
Of course, all the cats and dogs of the neighborhood are after them. Because of the liver’s yelling, cats ‘bitter meow, dogs’ barking, the whole neighborhood knew that the liver came.
According to a claim, the name “Albanian Liver” has been named after these sellers.
Another rumor is as follows:
The liver is the cheapest part of the animal. In other words, it is possible to feed a little money. Liver sellers were chopping the increased liver in a flaked house at night and frying in oil.
They looked that the fatty liver is so delicious, they said why not make it into money. They also started selling baked liver.
The race to make delicious lungs has begun among the Albanians. When the eaters said, “The Albanian liver on the ground was very beautiful,” the tails extended in front of him.
Because of these mobile sellers, Ciğer pan was called “Albanian Liver”.
Whatever claim you believe, it’s true.
In other words, Albanian liver is not Albanian.
Orhan Sizin, after giving this information, tells you how to distinguish the liver better:
“The important thing is that the liver is soft, tough, without veins. The color of the livers may be slightly lighter and sometimes darker than the herbs that the lamb or calf have eaten. In Thrace, especially the livers of the curly lamb are lighter than eating green grass. In Central Anatolia, the liver of the white Karaman lamb plays both on land and light color. The liver of the animal in the East becomes dark. ”
Orhan Bey also states that the malac gras are very tasty and soft like cotton but do not recognize the liver on the milk lamb.
While the world of ready-made medicine is laundered, eat plenty of Albanian liver, so that the class of tradesmen that survive can survive.
Oh, don’t neglect the onion with lots of parsley. The taste of the liver comes out with onions.
