Churchkhela
 Kakhetian churchela | |
| Alternative names | Churchela |
|---|---|
| Type | Confectionery |
| Place of origin | Georgia |
| Main ingredients | Grape must, nuts, flour |
Churchkhela (Georgian: ჩურჩხელა, romanized: churchkhela; CHURCH-kheh-LAH) is a traditional Georgian[1][2] candle-shaped brittle confection. The main ingredients of churchkhela are grape must, nuts, and flour. The traditional technology of churchkhela in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.[3][4]
Preparation
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Most commonly, walnuts or hazelnuts are threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened grape must, mulberry juice, or fruit juices and hung upside-down to dry in the shape of a candle. In eastern Georgia, churchkhela production begins with a condensed juice called tatara, made from must from local grapes in the areas of Kakheti, Kartli, or Meskheti thickened with wheat flour. Wheat flour is also used for making condensed mulberry juice in the area of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Corn flour is used in western Georgia (the areas of Racha, Lechkhumi, Guria, Samegrelo, Abkhazia, and Achara), and this condensed grape juice is called pelamushi.[5] In Abkhazia, a region in the North Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, it is known as Аджинджук (adzhindzhukhua or ajinjuk) in the local Abkhaz language and is touted as the best souvenir for gifting.[6]
Customs
[edit]Illustration of the making process
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String of nuts being dipped in thickened grape must
Once removed, it is ready to hang for air drying
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See also
[edit]References
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- ↑ Goldstein, Darra (1999). The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia. University of California Press. p. 210.
- ↑ Roufs, Timothy G.; Roufs, Kathleen Smyth (2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 140.
- ↑ "არამატერიალური კულტურული მემკვიდრეობა" [Intangible Cultural Heritage] (PDF) (in Georgian). National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ↑ "UNESCO Culture for development indicators for Georgia (Analytical and Technical Report)" (PDF). EU-Eastern Partnership Culture & Creativity Programme. October 2017. pp. 82–88. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ↑ "Churchkhela: Ark of taste". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ↑ Гарбузова, Александра (2021). Абхазия. Путеводитель. Бомьора. p. 116. ISBN 9785040198443.
- ↑ Goldstein, Darra (2013). The Georgian Feast. University of California Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0520275911.
External links
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Media related to Churchkhela at Wikimedia Commons