With its millennia-old pastoral shepherding culture, ample rainfall (it’s the wettest part of Albania) and a newly discovered pride in local, organic food production, Malësia e Madhe is a prime foodie destination. Select any renowned restaurant or guesthouse to try the local cuisine, which features grilled meat of land, goat or veal, served with fresh garden vegetables, kaçimak cornmeal, goat’s milk cream, corn bread, home-made sausages and cured meats and mishavina mountain cheese. Tamara village is famed for the trout from the clear alpine river running through the village, and especially the local Cem wild trout, trofta e egër e cemit, which is covered in red dots is popular at restaurants. You can have it fried, but consider trying the traditional tave peshku casserole version, baked with pepper, onion and potato. 

A handy additional guide to find local producers is the Agrotourism Experience website and app (AgroTimeAL; www.agrotourism.gov.al) which features a map. The www.zanamaleve.com website has more local listings.