The pastry layers are key. A skilled byrek-maker rolls and stretches the dough until you can almost see through it - sometimes a single sheet covers a whole kitchen table. Then they brush it with butter or oil and stack the sheets together. After baking, the layers puff up and become crispy and golden.
Fillings change with the season and the family. The classic is white salty cheese mixed with eggs and herbs. Spinach byrek is very popular in spring. Some families add tomato in summer, or pumpkin in autumn. Sweet versions with honey, walnuts and apples are common as a treat.
Byrek is the kind of food that is everywhere in Albania - in bakeries that sell it by the square slice, at family tables for Sunday lunch, in lunchboxes for school. A warm piece in your hand on a cold morning is one of the best feelings in the country.
Many countries around the Mediterranean and the Balkans make a similar pastry: b枚rek in Turkey, burek in Bosnia and Serbia, pita in parts of Greece. They are all cousins, sharing the same idea: very thin pastry, a tasty filling, and a big tray to share with family.