pastë

Pastë is a term used in Albanian and some neighboring languages to denote a paste-like food product. In culinary use, pastë refers to a soft, spreadable or dough-like mass produced by grinding, mashing, or slow cooking ingredients until blended. Pastë can be savory or sweet and is used as a table spread, a filling for pastries, or an ingredient in dishes as a thickener or binder.

Etymology: The word is related to Latin pasta and to similar terms in several Balkan languages, reflecting the long-standing culinary idea of turning ingredients into a compact mass.

Typical ingredients and textures: Savory pastë may be made from vegetables (for example roasted pepper or eggplant pastes), legumes, or grains, often seasoned with oil, salt, garlic, herbs, and spices. Sweet pastë can be fruit- or nut-based, sometimes with sugar or honey, and may incorporate ground seeds, spices, or wine.

Preparation and preservation: Pastë can be prepared fresh or preserved through drying, fermenting, or cooking with sugar or salt to extend shelf life. Some pastë are spreadable when warm and firm when cooled.

Cultural context: Pastë is associated with traditional and rural cooking in Albanian-speaking regions and in neighboring cultures where similar paste-like products are common. In modern markets, pastë-like products appear under labels such as pastes or spreads in various culinary traditions.

See also: Pasta, Paste (food), Spread (food).