The Traditional Ritual of Preparing Ballakume is declared part of the intangible cultural heritage, as a traditional dessert that authentically represents our culinary identity and tradition, closely linked to the Summer Day celebration and with ancient roots in the Elbasan region.
Elbasan families have zealously preserved the recipe of this dessert and the centuries-old utensils suitable for its preparation.
"We have preserved it as our ancestors left it, with our traditional utensils such as the kusia, the wooden spoon, the sofra, and every antique item that our city of Elbasan has. My kusia is 250 years old. I preserve it zealously because I inherited it from my great-grandmother," expresses Kreshnik Kaliqi.
Kreshnik has been preparing ballakume for almost 40 years. For him, this decision by the Ministry of Culture was an appreciation for the ancestors who passed it down from generation to generation, with the promise that this tradition will continue.
"An appreciation made to our ancestors over centuries, more than 400 years that our grandparents, great-grandparents, and parents have inherited with great love and dedication, and we will leave it to our children," he further states.
Elbasan's ballakume is the only dessert that is prepared solely according to a recipe that has remained unchanged for over 540 years, at least in this region. Summer Day does not have its meaning without ballakume prepared with corn flour, butter, and village eggs.