Chef Trilece Shkëlqim grew up in Albania where trilece arrived relatively recently but took hold quickly — a three-milk cake soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream, topped with caramel, and served cold. Its roots run through Ottoman cuisine and across the Balkans, and in Albania it found a permanent place at celebrations, family gatherings, and café menus without much fanfare. It simply became part of the table.

Her work centers on Albanian and Balkan sweets — trilece made with the correct milk ratio and enough time to soak properly, revani semolina cake soaked in syrup, and ballokume corn cookies from the Elbasan region traditionally made for the spring festival Dita e Verës. Trilece understands that Albanian pastry sits at a crossroads of Ottoman, Mediterranean, and Balkan influences, and she works within that layered tradition without flattening it.

In Universo da Doçura, Chef Trilece represents a small but distinct pastry culture that deserves more attention than it typically receives in global dessert conversations. Her kitchen is precise, her milk ratios are correct, and her caramel is never rushed.