Churchkhela Explained

Churchkhela
Alternate Name:Churchela
Country:Georgia
Type:Confectionery
Main Ingredient:Grape must, nuts, flour

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

The main ingredients of 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] In eastern Georgia, production begins with a condensed juice called, 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 .[7] In Abkhazia, a region in the North Caucus Mountains of Georgia, it is known as (or) in the local Abkhaz language and is touted as the best souvenir for gifting.[8]

Georgian warriors carried with them because they contain many calories.[9]

The traditional technology of in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.[10] [11]

Outside Georgia

and its varieties are popular in several countries besides Georgia, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq,[9] Syria, Iran, Cyprus,[12] Greece, Russia,[13] and Ukraine.[14] [15] In Persian, it is known as . In Aleppo, Syria, it is known as . In Azerbaijani, Armenian, Greek, and Turkish it is known as sujuk, which is actually a dry sausage. To distinguish the two, it is sometimes referred to as "sweet " in Armenian[16] (in Western Armenian), and ('walnut ') in Turkish.[17] It is known in Cypriot Greek as [18] [19] [20] and as,[21] (or)[22] and in Greece. Several related sweets are made in Greece during the autumn grape harvest by thickening grape must, to include the grape molasses pekmez, the grape must pudding called and grape must cookies called . Another variant of, traditionally called kelawo, is prepared in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.[23] It was locally marketed as Hunza chocolate, but as kelawo does not contain any cocoa, it is now renamed Hunza candy.[24] (Чурчхела in Russian or ჩურჩხელა in Georgian) is now gaining popularity in other parts of the world, notably Canada and the USA. Georgian food has been seeing an upward trend over the last few years due to large numbers of Russians immigrating to Canada and the United States[25] with several companies starting up and taking off, like Chella, who make in Vancouver, British Columbia, and La Fabrique St-George, who make Georgian wine in traditional qvevris.

The Cypriot variety is made by dipping strings of almonds into jelly, called .[26]

Preparation

is a homemade Georgian product. Georgians usually make in autumn when the primary ingredients, grapes and nuts, are harvested. It is a string of walnut halves that have been dipped in grape juice called or (grape juice thickened with flour), and dried in the sun.[27] No sugar is added to make real . Instead of walnuts, sometimes hazelnuts or almonds are used in the regions of west Georgia.

The juice is placed in a large bronze cauldron and heated slowly. A small amount of a special white earth called is added to the boiling must and causes impurities to rise to the surface, where they are collected and removed. It is possible to substitute , when not available, with lager beer, which has a similar result. Once the cleansing process is complete, the liquid is left to cool. Next, flour is added while stirring and heating the mixture. When it reaches the right consistency, based on the rate of steam bubbles and the viscosity of the mixture, it is removed from the heat. The mix, called, is now ready for use in the next step in the process of making, which consists of preparing the nuts for dipping.

Before they are threaded, the nuts have to be shelled and dipped into water in order to soften them. Once soft enough, they are strung onto NaNsp=usNaNsp=us-long threads. The strings are dipped in the mixture until completely covered. This process is repeated several times (usually three times) until the has the desired thickness. strings are then left to dry for five to six days. They are then ready for consumption or storage, though some like to eat it fresh.

Consumption

is a between-meal snack and is also served as a dessert during New Year and Christmas celebrations.

Traditionally, in times of war women would send their men to eat at the front, because of its pragmatic size, ability not to mold for long periods of time, and heavy texture that keeps one full.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Goldstein. Darra. The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia. 1999. University of California Press. 210.
  2. Web site: 2002. ru. Culinary Dictionary of V.V. Pokhlebkin. Грузинское национальное лакомство.. ru:Чурчхела. http://www.langet.ru/html/4/4ur4hela.html. langet.ru.
  3. Book: Roufs. Timothy G.. Roufs. Kathleen Smyth. Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. 2014. ABC-CLIO. 140.
  4. Web site: Кавказская кухня. ru. meals.ru. https://web.archive.org/web/20160913221014/http://www.meals.ru/cb.php/vr/3258/ . 13 September 2016.
  5. Web site: На Кавказ за чурчхелой. https://web.archive.org/web/20180919091705/http://dish.1001chudo.ru/russia_990.html. dead. September 19, 2018.
  6. http://www.geoheart.info/news/2009-03-06-26 Churchkhela
  7. Web site: Churchkhela: Ark of taste. Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. 1 August 2022.
  8. Book: Гарбузова, Александра. Абхазия. Путеводитель. 2021. Бомьора. 9785040198443. 116.
  9. Book: Goldstein, Darra. Darra Goldstein. The Georgian Feast. 2013. University of California Press. 978-0520275911. 192.
  10. Web site: არამატერიალური კულტურული მემკვიდრეობა. National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia. 25 October 2017. Intangible Cultural Heritage. ka.
  11. Web site: UNESCO Culture for development indicators for Georgia (Analytical and Technical Report). EU-Eastern Partnership Culture & Creativity Programme. 25 October 2017. 82–88. October 2017.
  12. Web site: Soutzoukos. hellenicaworld.com. Hellenica World. Soutzoukos (Greek: σουτζούκος) is a popular traditional sweet of Cyprus..
  13. Web site: Как сделать чурчхелу в домашних условиях [How to make churchkhela at home]]. mail.ru. ru. 10 October 2013. 23 November 2015. 2 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402131014/https://lady.mail.ru/advice/177-kak-sdelat-churchhelu-v-domashnih-uslovijah/. dead.
  14. Web site: Рецепт - Чурчхела. ru. ProCook.ru. 26 May 2023.
  15. Web site: Zeldes . Leah A. . Leah A. Zeldes . Eat this! Rojik, something sweet from Armenia . Dining Chicago . Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc. . 2011-03-02 . 2011-06-30 . 2019-05-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190504155132/http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2011/03/02/eat-this-rojik-something-sweet-from-armenia/ . dead .
  16. News: Վրաստան այցելելու պատճառները՝ Buzzfeed-ի ֆոտաշարքում. Tert.am. 5 November 2014. hy. չուրչխելա (քաղցր սուջուխ). 26 December 2014. 5 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211105112740/https://www.tert.am/am/news/2014/11/05/georgia-country/1237851. dead.
  17. News: Going nuts in Pangaltı, Şişli. Hürriyet Daily News. 29 January 2010. ...the cevizli sucuk, a traditional, sausage-shaped candy made of walnuts sewn onto a string and dipped into thickened mulberry juice..
  18. Web site: Shoushoukos. cyprusalive.com. Cyprus Alive. Palouzes and shushukos are exclusively known as traditional Cypriot delicacies..
  19. Book: Cyprus. 1999. Hunter Publishing. 231. Soutzoukos is a solidified grape juice sweet made with almonds and formed into sausage-like rolls..
  20. Web site: el:Σουτζιούκκος. http://foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy/web/guest/trofima/civitem/2379. foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy. Cyprus Food Virtual Museum. 30 November 2015. el.
  21. Web site: Authentic Foods Soujoukos & Palouzes. cyprusfoodndrinks.com. Cyprus Food and Drinks. Soujoukos (grape must roll): A similar name, soutzouki, is also used in Greece to denote the same product..
  22. Web site: Εποχή για μάζεμα καρυδιών στην Αρκαδία... ώρα για μουσταλευριά και τζουτζούκι! (Season for picking walnuts in Arcadia... time for mustalevria and jutsuki!). www.kalimera-arkadia.gr. Kalimera Arcadia. τζουτζούκι! Παραδοσιακό γλύκισμα από μουσταλευριά και καρύδι γιατί εκτός από εποχή του καρυδιού είναι και η εποχή του κρασιού! (jutsuki! Traditional mustel and walnut confection because in addition to walnut season, it is also wine season!).
  23. Web site: Walnut Kelawo (Walnuts dipped in Honey & Mulberry Juice). GS Hunza Dry Fruits. en-US. 2020-05-05.
  24. Web site: Hunza Candy. GS Hunza Dry Fruits. en-US.
  25. Web site: Flores . Rosa . 2023-02-20 . 'I realized that my country was doing something wrong': Nearly 22,000 Russians have tried to enter the US since Putin's war draft . 2023-10-20 . CNN . en.
  26. shoushoukos is the long one with almond nuts in it, and palouzes is the one made without nuts usually poured in a bowl/container
  27. Web site: Progress Tour. Churchkhela. 2012-11-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234307/http://www.progresstour.com/wiki/churchkhela.html. 2016-03-03. dead.