Believe it or not, u can find and eat good burek even in Palermo. It's not easy, ok, but, at least, if u are organized and ring the Veliu Sazan's burekzilnica in time, they will prepare good burek, made just for you.

I discovered this very new and little shop by chance, when I met walking on the way home my balkanik friend, Federico. Well, in the middle of the usual chats u do when u meet someone u haven't meet for a long time, I said him about burekeaters and him straightaway: "u know they are cooking burek in Palermo..." I didn't believe it at first, my dreams to turn true like this, suddenly. But that was.

By the way, last week I organized my expected balkanian dinner with MariaClaudia at the Veliu Sazan's burekzilnica. Discovering that they still not have tables where to sit and that they aren't still cooking burek in fact, since no one has requested it, was very funny for us. We were the first ones entering (after Federico and a couple of turks) the shop and asking for it. No burek then, unless we phone them the afternoon before and ask him for cooking it for the exact number of people planned.

We had to detour to a very well cooked sufflaki, then, served with soft pitta and that was good for us.

Since we were the only customers in the shop, getting in touch with the him was easy. We found out that Mr. Veliu Sazan is working with his brother, that they are from the Balkans, Albania. He also looked very happy to see some customers in his new shop and happy to chat with us, how we did know his burekzilnica and whatever and how come I was looking for burek.

Why I was looking for burek u all know but since I don't think explaining him what a blog is would have been so easy, I opted for telling him that my girlfriend is from Balkans and that I ate burek with her this summer.

"Where is she from?" "She is from Macedonia". "ahhhhhhh then she is from our same country!" "No, man, you are from Albania, she is from Macedonia". "Albania, Macedonia, Kosova, it's all the same, borderlines are political stuff but you must know we are all even speaking the same language". "My friend, Biljana doesn't speak Albanian, she just speaks Macedonian". "Ah, ok ok, I didn't mean to be rude, nowdays it's different and they are living all in the same country, now they are as one". "Better, man, u are wise man..."

Ok the beginning wasn't so politically correct (and I know Biljana wouldn't be so happy to hear the story, but that's the way it is) but we noticed that man to be in good faith and we didn't resist to ask him a million questions. We discovered, then, that he misses his country, that he has brothers all over the world, that he is catholic but when in Albania it was time for celebrating everybody in the neiborough was, no matter the religion. He also told us that here in Sicily life is very different than the one in Albania, since "when u choose a girlfriend it's for life, entire one". We answered yes, actually, here it's very different, and almost nothing is for ever. This was good beginning for him to tell us about the "ancient" tradition of Catholic wedding in Albania. It looks like the first day of marriage, the wife is bringing all her stuff to the new house and she is also giving her husband a bullet. If she will be unfaithful, then, she will be shot with that bullet, given by herself.

That was very fascinating story for us and after he finished speaking we were silent like kids. Of course, we said we refuse this way of thinking, and that it was violent and sexist but in our heart we also blew the air of a lost land in which important things can still really be eternal. Like the glory of Alexandar the great who is still animating politics in Macedonia or the Kossovo battle, which dates 1389.

We were kind of moved listening to his stories and to pass a different "sicilian" night in company of our next door new friend and learning by him.

He called us "my friends", offered us a very good turkish coffee and even invited us for going in Albania (with Biljana too!) hosted by him this summer, thing I think to be good result for just a dinner and 7 euros.

We will surely thank him "coming back" in Via Malaspina n°9 for eating a piece of our "near east" without forgetting to ring him the afternoon beforeto let him prepare his burek for us. And, of course, we strongly advice our sicilian friends that a very poor but marvellous place is still waiting for them.

Postato da: Cicciosax a 17:06 | link | commenti (10) |

Commenti

#1    15 Gennaio 2005 - 18:39

 

for the begginnig, your english is so good (not like mine)...
Bel racconto, Cicciux, è bello scovare piccole Bosnie, Macedonie, Serbie, Albanie in "Occidente" (a Brescia c'è un locale dove suonano musica rom ed è indistintamente frequentata da serbi, rom, bosniaci etc.. Questa è la
magia della diaspora!)
Possiamo viaggiare anche qui, allora!!!

ziganka

#2    15 Gennaio 2005 - 19:08

 

Grazie cara Ziggie :) Qui o altrove, l'importante è viaggiare :))

Cicciosax

#3    16 Gennaio 2005 - 15:58

 

If sig. Sazan ever thinks he might want to open a shop in Boston, he will be most welcome!
Eric

utente anonimo

#4    16 Gennaio 2005 - 20:14

 

next time I go I will make him aware Eric! :))) I know he has a brother in the U.S... ;)

Cicciosax

#5    16 Gennaio 2005 - 21:06

 

Reading the story of the Albanian bride who gave her groom a bullet as a wedding gift,I decided to share with you a story I know.
Memories,myths and legends are all mixed up in my mind when I evoke my teenager days in Reggio Calabria. The story I'm going to tell you was told me in 1986 ( I was 19) by my beloved Aunt Anna. When she told me story its facts were already almost 20 year old thus I cannot offer pieces of evidence.I'm just telling you a story I was fascinated by. In town, there was a highly respected and considered woman who had killed her husband because she betrayed her. The Italian laws ("legge sul delitto d'onore") of those times were extremely tolerant towards this kind of killing behaviour and the court found this woman not guilty.The legend said that when she and her husband married they brought each other as a gift a brand new bullet authorizing each other to use it in case of severe betrayments of faith,loyalty and love. Apparently he never had a good reason to use his but she had a good one to use hers. This ritual of the gifted bulletts intrigued me.
If marriage is considered mutual love and faith forever it's a very nice ritual to underline it ,if marriage is considered a try to create a couple being aware of the high contingency and of the high reversibility of human relationships then the US model of the pre -wedding agreements is the most coherent,honest and effective way to managea couple. Half way solutions are religious- bourgeoise cheats and generate half made worlds and half made worlds tragically. implode.
Andy

utente anonimo

#6    16 Gennaio 2005 - 21:15

 

whooops,please forgive my typos the most relevant is :
"she betrayed her."
to be replaced by
"he betrayed her"
Andy

utente anonimo

#7    16 Gennaio 2005 - 22:19

 

welcome, dear Andrea, in our little but warm burekzilnica ;-)

Cicciosax

#8    17 Gennaio 2005 - 21:33

 

that man took a big risk ;))))
anyway, the great thing in living in a big town is that you can find everything, everyone and everywhere in the streets :)

l'importante e' viaggiare, qui o li' :-)

panda75

#9    18 Gennaio 2005 - 13:27

 

ben detto elenuzza!

Cicciosax

#10    03 Marzo 2005 - 01:19

 

I was quite intrigued by your stories. I enjoy burek but about seven years ago I went to a shop run by Bosnian Muslim family. I had gone there several times before, however, this time as I made my purchase I was talking to the owner, we heard male voices. One voice was heard commenting on my accent: "I thought all Serbs had been killed". In the heart of Toronto! So, you can ejoy your burek and fear for your life.

utente anonimo

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