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"HYRI BAKLLAVA" an unforgettable taste/ From grandma's kitchen, to a brand that is sought after all over the country

2026-02-14 14:20:00, Qyteti im CNA

"HYRI BAKLLAVA" an unforgettable taste/ From grandma's kitchen,

On a quiet alley, amidst the aroma of fresh butter and warm sorbet, lies a story that began in a home kitchen in 1995.

It was Grandma Hyri who planted the first seed of a tradition that today bears her name. Initially, baklava was prepared for friends, colleagues, and family – a handmade dessert made with dedication and love.

Ten years ago, together with her grandson, the family decided to turn this passion into a business.

"The initiative came from the grandmother of the house, Hyri. She actually started it as a business in 1995 at home by making baklava for her friends, colleagues, and colleagues. 10 years ago, she, together with her nephew, my husband, opened a pastry shop that they called traditional pastry shop at first and made only 4 products by hand, trspixhe, baklava, hadximakulle and kadaif with kajmak. They were handmade cakes that were started in the morning and finished by 2 pm. 4 years ago, after the end of the pandemic, we saw that people were starting to reduce sugar, they no longer wanted the big mold of baklava, so we decided to reform baklava by more or less imitating the small Turkish model. And in this way, we decided to also put the name of our grandmother "Hyri baklava" because she started it as a business idea with a lot of effort. Even though the grandmother is no longer alive today "Clients are asking for her hand," said Melani Cani, manager of "Hyri Bakllava".

"HYRI BAKLLAVA" an unforgettable taste/ From grandma's kitchen,

The road hasn't always been easy. There have been ups and downs, even a year-long hiatus when the family moved to Spain. But even then, there were messages on social media: "When are you reopening?" "We want an order!" For three months, in the new environment, the clientele has returned immediately, proving that trust is built over years.

Today, in addition to baklava – where the pistachio one remains "on top" – they offer a wide range of cakes and desserts prepared from start to finish in their laboratory. No artificial colors, no compromises on quality. In fact, the colors used are artisanal, from beets, blueberries or raspberries.

"10 years have had their ups and downs, but we had a break. We moved to Spain for a year. During this time, they were looking for us on social media, why don't you come and order, etc. It's been about 3 months since we opened in this new environment. We thought they wouldn't find us, but the clientele came back right away. In addition to baklava, which is known to be a specialty, we have a range of different cakes. Our desserts are prepared in our laboratory from the beginning, from the pastry cream to the end. Without dyes, I think it's better to have healthy and quality food. This is what our clients are getting used to. This is the line we have decided to keep. We are starting to introduce artisanal dyes with beets, blueberries, raspberries. We have also tried to introduce brunch because every day there are more and more foreigners. They come in the morning and they definitely don't start with baklava. They want something with coffee...so we started with toast with avocado, salmon, eggs, arugula. There are more foreigners, Spanish, Israeli, English, etc.."

The best dessert is the walnut cake – no flour, just ground walnuts, pastry cream and butter – simple in composition, but the best-selling. While the most challenging remains the “Pink Velvet”, a cake with several preparation processes, where the cake is made with beetroot cream and raspberry puree, covered in quality chocolate.

"HYRI BAKLLAVA" an unforgettable taste/ From grandma's kitchen,

"Baklava with pistachio is always on top, while young people prefer walnut cake. There is no flour, it is just ground walnuts, pastry cream, butter. It is simple but the best-selling. The most difficult to make is the pink velvet cake. It is difficult because its cake is made from beetroot cream, raspberry puree and covered with good chocolate. There are several processes, so it takes a while because you have to mix the beetroot with the puree, etc.."

There is no shortage of requests from Tirana and Durrës, where the products are sent by mail, or within Shkodra with a delivery service. Although transportation somewhat affects the freshness of the product, the desire for the taste of "Hyri Bakllava" remains high. The goal is clear: maintaining the standard and expanding to other cities.

"We have many requests, especially from Tirana to Durrës, and we send them by mail. Of course, the mail is not the same as the sweets that are received here because the road affects it, etc., but the requests are high. We also have delivery in Shkodër. Therefore, from these requests, in addition to maintaining the standard, we aim to expand to other cities."

"Hyri Bakllava" is not just a pastry shop. It is a family story, a heritage of taste, a name that continues...!/ CNA