Churchkhela

Churchkhela
Kakhetian churchela
Alternative namesChurchela
TypeConfectionery
Place of originGeorgia
Main ingredientsGrape must, nuts, flour
Georgian cuisine
ქართული სამზარეულო
Dishes and sauces
Wines and drinks
Other

Churchkhela (Georgian: ჩურჩხელა, Georgian pronunciation: [tʃʰuɾtʃʰχela]) is a traditional Georgian[1][2][3] candle-shaped candy.

The main ingredients of churchkhela are grape must, nuts, and flour. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and chocolate and sometimes raisins are threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened grape must, mulberry juice, or fruit juices and dried in the shape of a sausage.[4][5][6][7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

Georgian warriors carried churchkhela with them because they contain many calories.[10]

The traditional technology of churchkhela in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.[11][12]

  1. ^ Goldstein, Darra (1999). The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia. University of California Press. p. 210.
  2. ^ Чурчхела. langet.ru (in Russian). Culinary Dictionary of V.V. Pokhlebkin. 2002. Грузинское национальное лакомство.
  3. ^ Roufs, Timothy G.; Roufs, Kathleen Smyth (2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 140.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference zeldes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Кавказская кухня". meals.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 13 September 2016.
  6. ^ "На Кавказ за чурчхелой". Archived from the original on September 19, 2018.
  7. ^ Churchkhela[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Churchkhela: Ark of taste". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. ^ Гарбузова, Александра (2021). Абхазия. Путеводитель. Бомьора. p. 116. ISBN 9785040198443.
  10. ^ Goldstein, Darra (2013). The Georgian Feast. University of California Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0520275911.
  11. ^ "არამატერიალური კულტურული მემკვიდრეობა" [Intangible Cultural Heritage] (PDF) (in Georgian). National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  12. ^ "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.