Gurian cuisine

Guria and Guria cuisine

Guria is one of the most beautiful corners of Georgia, bordered by Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to the north, Imereti to the east, the Autonomous Republic of Adjara to the south, and the Black Sea to the west.

The administrative center of Guria is the city of Ozurgeti. The districts are Lanchkhuti and Chokhatauri.

I would like to dedicate the article itself to Gurian cuisine, and everything you will read below was passed down to me by Gurian housewives, that is, local housewives, Lamara Salukvadze-Gagua and Manoni Gorgiladze.

An article is an article and an introduction to dishes is an introduction, but to truly experience the Gurian and regional cuisine in general, you have to visit that place and taste everything described below in person.

The Gurian dishes described in the article were presented to me by Ms. Lamara, originally from the village of Likhauri and married in Ozurgeti, and Ms. Manon, a resident of the village of Natanebi. Along with Gurian cuisine, they told me no less interesting stories about the customs of the Gurians and the local environment in general.

While interacting with them, I was convinced of how wonderfully open-hearted, eloquent, and cheerful the Gurians are, and I was filled with special warmth for these people and their region!

In my story, along with the Gurian dishes, which are obviously still made today, I will also tell you about the old, traditional dishes that were prepared under the conditions appropriate to the time, and whose transmission and not forgetting serves to preserve our traditions.

Gurian Ode

Before I begin my review of Gurian cuisine, it would be a good idea to illustrate the mission and role of the fire lit in the oda in Gurian cuisine.

Previously, in Guria, the living room was separate from the kitchen.

A large fire was lit in the middle of the kitchen. They mostly used beech and tshemla as firewood. This type of firewood burns slowly, silently, and gives off amazing heat. If the fire was well lit and produced good embers, the Gurians would bake the chad on the ketsi... Before baking the chad, the ketsi had to be well heated. They usually had large stone ketsi. To heat the ketsi well, they would first place this ketsi on the fire... The ketsi would be heated upside down in the fire, and when it got too hot, they would take it out and put it nearby so that it would be warm, and then they would spread a sugar leaf on top and tie the chad. By the way, to bake chad and fish, the Gurians would spread vine, walnut, sugar and tskhavi leaves at the bottom of the ketsi, which gives the dish a special aroma. The sugar is a shrubby plant and its leaves are the size of chestnut leaves, and the tsvavi is also a kind of plant. When they tied the chad, they would cover it with this leaf again and put a tin on top. They would first pour ash on top of the tin, then add coals for heat and temperature, and they would bake it like that. When the chad puffed up, it was ready. This is how they used to bake chad in Guria in the past, and it had an amazing look and smell. You may have noticed that I moved from talking about the Guri ode to the chads baked on a griddle... but I was going to tell everything in sequence, but since you followed the question so patiently, let it remain as it is and don't be offended.

Gurian Chads

Since we are talking about chad, it would be advisable to provide you with a little more information about how the Gurus prepare it.

In Guria, chadi is different, different because, as I mentioned above, it is mainly baked on a griddle.

The chad is definitely soaked in warm water for a long time and then tied to a ketsi. The ketsi has a round shape and accordingly the chad is also round. When they tie it, they make a cross shape on top to give it a beautiful shape and appearance. In addition, they cut the already baked cake into 4 parts in a cross shape and serve it beautifully.

This type of baked chicken is delicious with cheese and cooked pork.

In Guria, they also baked chad in another way, which was called gray egg.

Gray egg

For the ash-baked bread, the dough was first kneaded well, kneaded, and before that, the bottom of the oven was cleaned of ash and this kneaded dough was placed directly in the fire. The dough prepared in this way was called an ash-baked bread. They did not spread a leaf on the bottom of this ash-baked bread, but they poured ash on top of the bread, thinly, 2-3 fingers thick. When it was baked, they removed the bread from the ash, dipped it in cold water, then lit the fire and placed this wet bread next to it, in the heat of the fire, and left it there until it was well browned on all sides.

Smoked meat goes very well with gray eggs.

And Chad is particularly fond of pkhaleuli, which the Gurians have a truly diverse range of, and if nothing else, they are only proud of the Ekala pkhali. This is the pkhali that, if anyone has tried it at least once, will go on the list of their favorite dishes and truly deserves a special place. In general, pkhaleuli enriches Gurian cuisine.

Gurian Pkhaleism

Ekala , actually " Dzigura "

This type of phlox is known throughout Georgia as ekala, although in Guria it is called dzigura.

Dzhigura blooms in early spring, in April-May.

Dzhigura is collected in the forest in the spring. It is a thorn and grows in the forest, along the banks of rivers, and also climbs trees and bushes. Just like the Gurians pick tea, Dzhigura is also collected on the stems and only the tops are cut off, the young ones. It has a brownish-green color. The thorny pods must be selected, they will definitely have rough leaves that must be removed. Where the leaves do not break, they are rough and difficult to boil. The thorn pods themselves do not need much boiling because their leaves are tender. After boiling, the pods are drained and chopped beautifully, or just chopped with a knife. Fennel, coriander, parsley, dill and dill go very well. For your information, dill is called kliavi in Gurian. All this must be finely chopped. Garlic and pepper also go well with it. Dzhigura's pkhali doesn't like dried spices, only fresh herbs. It also needs vinegar and, of course, pomegranate goes well with it. Also lemon juice.

Dzigura pie is made with or without walnuts, depending on taste.

Ready-made Ekala Pkhali is delicious with cheese and ham.

The thorn of the tree

By the way, they also make preserves from dzigura pulp, just like kezhera pulp. I'll tell you about kezhera pulp below. They can it both in regular jars and in sterilized form. They pour water over the first jar and pour the second, boiled jar. Sterilization should take about 10 minutes.

Since the topic itself led us to the topic of pkhali, let's not break the sequence and first introduce you to the types of pkhali that grow in Guria and that the people of Guria often prepare.

After the Ekala Pkhali, I would like to introduce you to a type of Pkhali called "Chqana Pkhali", which is considered the royal Pkhali in Guria.

Chickpea

The finished pkhali has a uniquely delicious taste and nothing can compare until you taste it in person. It has such a distinctive taste that, as the ancients tell us, kings used to make this pkhali, and hence its name, “royal pkhali.”

The chard grows and grows in the same way as the herb coriander. It is sown in the fall, in November, and ripens in February-March, that is, with the arrival of spring. In winter, when the snow melts, the chard is green and preserved in this snow. In February-March, when the season is not so rich in terms of food, this crop is very pleasant and timely. It can be said that it is a spring crop.

The fenugreek itself is ground up. The fenugreek, as such, does not have a seed, so it is very hard when cooked. The seed itself has finger-sized, thread-like branches.

Like green coriander leaves, fennel leaves are also used as a green in various dishes, such as beans and peas, as well as tkemali. They are chopped in the same way as coriander leaves. They can also be passed through a meat grinder and prepared in a convenient way. By the way, fennel leaves can also be served as greens on the table.

In terms of preparation, it is usually boiled and seasoned with spices. After cooking, it needs to be squeezed vigorously, just like other pkhaleuli. It goes well with crushed walnuts, foreign spices, green coriander, savory, pepper, garlic and vinegar. Of course, pomegranate also goes well. Today, when dishes have taken on a more modern look, nests are made from the prepared pkhale and water is poured inside.

Kejera Pkhali

The next species of pheasant I would like to introduce to you is the Kejera pheasant.

Kejera has large, green leaves. It grows 30-40 cm tall, although there are also low bushes. It forms a very large stem called a khvit. It is good for stewing when it has already frozen, because then it is good to cook. Stew is made from its leaves, although the leaves are difficult to cook and require a long cooking time. Kejera does not freeze in winter, it retains its leaves, but the leaves become soft and are good for cooking in early spring, when the frosts have passed. The boiled leaves of Kejera are cut very finely and crushed, then seasoned with walnuts, both fresh and dried coriander and parsley. Vinegar and pomegranate go very well together.

It is possible to make nests with the leaves of the kezhera and add water to them. Kezhera is sometimes also mixed with burdock herbs, which gives it a wonderful flavor.

Ashes of the earth.

The Gurus also prepare a semolina porridge.

It looks like ash mixed with leaves, and that's where the name comes from.

Jijilaqa (chichilaqa)

In Guria, they also know how to make a dish of tsichilaka. Tsichilaka is a greenish plant that has elongated, oval leaves with a line running down the middle and small flowers in the fall. In general, tsichilaka is a weed that grows mainly in corn fields and people make a dish from it. It is not by chance that I mentioned these two types of tsichilaka together.

Ash gourd and cichilaka are made together because you can't find enough of these types of gourd to prepare them separately. Often, these two types of gourd are also mixed with nettle gourd. They are prepared and seasoned in the same way as kezhera and other types of gourd.

Gingerbread man

Since I mentioned jinchari, of course, Guria will not be an exception, and those who love it also make jinchari pkhali in Guria. It is prepared in the same way as the preparation of various types of pkhali is described. It basically requires a little boiling, squeezing, finely crushing, and seasoning with various spices and walnuts.

Leek leaf

In this area, they also prepare leek puree. After boiling and straining, it can be chopped and then ground, but it doesn't need to be put through a food processor. The ready puree is then tied up like a nest and olive oil is poured inside. Pomegranate goes well with this too.

Cabbage leaf

And, for the end, we saved you a cabbage pie.

The Gurus make cabbage rolls as follows:

Cabbage is cut very thinly, lengthwise, into long, thin strips. This chopped cabbage is placed in boiling salted water and boiled until slightly softened. Then it is squeezed through a sieve, crushed with your hands and made into a paste, then seasoned with spices, although cabbage paste does not like green herbs, only dried spices, garlic, saffron and walnuts. Of course, pomegranate seeds are also suitable for this.

Kejera is a thorny vine.

Since I have introduced you to the dishes prepared with these species, I would also like to mention that skeins are also made from the pulp of these species.

Here I will tell you how to make a Kejera Pkhali braid.

The cleaned and washed kezhera is placed in a glass jar. It needs pepper, about 2 pieces, celery, garlic 4-5 cloves, salt and a little vinegar so that it does not sour. This mass should be tightly packed in the jar and salt should be poured on top. Boiled cold water is added. When sealing with a plastic lid, the jar is first covered with gauze so that the plastic does not come into contact with the juice. It ferments quickly, about 1 week. It does not need to be boiled.

What to bring with Pkhaleuli? And for your information, tomatoes are called Okrovashla in Guria.

And for the thick pumpkin, - Khapera.

This is for information!

After Pkhaleuli, it would be appropriate to introduce you to such famous Gurian dishes as Gurian satsivi or Gurian pies.

Guria also knows a lot about dishes made from poultry, for example, they make satsiv, chakhokhbili from chicken, or they dry-roast it and serve it with tkemali, and they also know Varia in garlic-water.

Cold in Gurian.

In Guria, satsivi holds one of the main places. It is mainly prepared with turkey, because turkey fat is more or less harmless. The turkey is first boiled, then cut into beautiful pieces and the main secret of satsivi, that is, the preparation of the satsivi mass, is started. Walnuts are usually ground by hand in a fine grinder. Then they take: coriander seeds, only the stems of green coriander (because the leaves turn green), 4-5 cloves of garlic, an onion, bay leaf, saffron, a little salt and pepper, and the mixture is boiled in one liter of water for about 10 minutes (all of these ingredients must be whole). When it is ready, it is set aside for a while so that these spices can be well absorbed by the cooking. You have probably noticed when satsivi has round circles of fat in the middle. This is a waterless one, which is made as follows: the walnuts mixed with the spices of coriander and allspice are thoroughly ground, and then the boiled water is poured into it in such an amount that this mass is dissolved. If desired, saffron can also be added. In this case, the waterless one will turn out red, and in some cases, white. When distilling walnut oil, the walnuts can become stubborn, in such a case, 1 tablespoon of bread flour is dissolved in hot water, these walnuts are added, and in this case, the walnuts will immediately release fat. When the fat is distilled from the walnuts, they are squeezed by hand. Then the spices of coriander are added to these walnuts. This water is mixed with broth, but with a little fat-containing broth, and stored separately. Then they roll the walnuts into a round shape, and using the juice they have set aside (boiled water and broth), they slowly open the walnuts, stirring them with a wooden spoon. They test the thickness with the juice of the satsivi. The undiluted one is generally poured drop by drop into the satsivi.

Beyond the refrigerator, Gurian housewives also make standard meat dishes such as kauri, oysters, kuchmachi, and stewed duck.

Guruli Kaurma

To prepare kaurmi, they boil the pork liver and heart and cut it into pieces. They fry it with onions and squeeze out its juice separately. Then they add tomato juice to the onions and continue to fry. When the liver and heart are slightly browned with onions, they add walnuts, garlic, dried spices, salt, vinegar to the separately set aside juice and this mixed juice is slowly added to the browned meat, just enough to slightly cover it, and they bring it to a boil over low heat. After boiling, the dish is ready.

Oyster

It is made from beef, it must be fatty meat. They cut it into small pieces, boil it, stew it in onion, tomato juice. They add salt, pepper. They pour its own juice over the stew and boil it for a while until cooked. The main thing is not to let the juice dry out, because the dish should be served with its own juice.

Stomach

Small pieces of boiled pork liver are mixed with walnuts, spices, dried coriander, pepper, raw onion, and, of course, salt. Pomegranate seeds are also a good addition.

They stir it all together to make it deliciously blended, and the delicious dish is ready.

Stewed duck

Duck stew is made with walnut sauce in which duck pieces are simmered.

Saffron, dried coriander, salt, pepper, and garlic are ground together with walnuts and dissolved in water. Then, the cleaned and washed duck pieces are placed in a pot, poured with this walnut mixture, and simmered over low heat so that the juices do not evaporate. There is no need to add fat. Duck meat has enough fat to render itself in its own fat during cooking.

Tomato sauce

Besides meat dishes, the Gurians know another dish called tomato sauce.

Tomato salad is a green tomato salad that is prepared as follows.

Green tomatoes are first cut into pieces and sprinkled with salt. Then they are left to stand for a while. After the tomatoes release their juice, these tomato pieces are squeezed by hand and seasoned with walnuts and various spices such as coriander, dried spices, savory... The dish mixed with these walnuts and spices is called satsiv-tomidor.

Pork ham

Obviously, as in all of Georgia, pigs are slaughtered in Guria, mostly for New Year's Eve. Previously, when pigs were slaughtered in Guria, they would throw the pig in manure 2-3 weeks before slaughter to cleanse it and feed it only with corn. (The same was done with poultry: chickens, turkeys).

Ham is obviously made from pork.

They would cut the pork into pieces, let it sit for a day to clean it, then put it in a container and sprinkle it with salt. They would pour boiling water over it, which would contain salt, garlic, coriander, pepper, and bay leaves. They would let it sit for a month. Then, in February, they would take out the meat and hang it in the shade. If they didn't want to smoke it, they would air-dry it, wrapping it in gauze to keep out insects and keep it clean in general.

And if they wanted to smoke meat, they would remove it from the pot and sprinkle the dried meat with pepper (like adjika) to the extent that the meat would absorb the red color of the adjika well, add the pieces of meat, then hang these pieces outside in the shade, and when the meat was thoroughly dried, they would roast it over the flame of a vine branch.

In the spring, when the vineyard was being pruned, the vine cuttings were stored in specially sewn, made iron trays and the meat was roasted over the fire for 10 days. They were also roasted over a medium fire in the kitchen.

As I mentioned above, I wrote an article about Gurian cuisine with the help of Gurian housewives, so I will also introduce you to pork skewers prepared in a different way, as they are prepared in the village of Natanebi, Ozurgeti district.

The slaughtered pork is pounded and lightly salted, almost completely covered so that it does not spoil due to the damp weather. They leave it in this condition for about 10 days. Then they wrap it in gauze so that flies and other insects do not land on the meat during drying, and hang it over a medium fire to dry. The meat should be dried over a damp fire in the morning and evening. About 2 weeks. During this time, the shashki dries and smokes well. When the meat changes color and when cut, it has taken on the final appearance of ham, this means that the shashki is ready.

When the finished ham is cut, so that the meat is not too salty, they pour hot water over it to remove the salt. In Guria, this is called "gagolela". Then they can eat it as they wish, either directly or fry it.

Pork belly

When a pig is slaughtered in Guria, they also prepare a pork stew called khaladetsi.

To prepare it, first boil the pig's head and legs (pork feet), cook for a long time, until the meat is tender and falling apart, and then remove the bones. After removing the bones, add garlic, yellow flowers, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and continue to boil until the mixture is thick. The finished laba is cooled and served cold.

For your information, back in the 1940s, they used to store meat in the snow. You know, there's a lot of snow in high-mountain regions, so they would dig out a snowdrift and store the meat in it.

In the old days, both pigs and turkeys were roasted on a stick, with the stick placed in the middle and slowly turned over the fire. Before roasting, the turkey or pig was half-cooked and was roasted over the fire to ensure that it was well browned.

Carving

Before we talk about the topic of pig slaughter, I should also mention that when a pig is slaughtered, its udder is cleaned and washed carefully, then they pour vodka, salt, vinegar... enough vinegar to cover it and store it in a sealed jar for 10 days. The udder is used to extract cheese. When the milk is milked, they put a teaspoon of udder in it and wait for the cheese to come, that is, the milk will curdle to the point where it can all be collected. When it comes, they scoop it out with their hands, squeeze out the whey, and place it in a mold for final draining. When the cheese has accumulated on the strainer, they add that juice to the udder to enrich it with whey.

A cut branch of a fig tree is used to stir it.

Gurian cheese

In Guria, many families still grow cheese using natural methods, such as matcha.

Cheese is made in the same way as in many other parts or regions of Georgia.

The warmed milk is added to the curd, and after 20-25 minutes, the milk thickens like sour cream, which is an indication that the cheese has curdled and set. Then, this curdled mass is broken up with a whisk and stirred to separate the cheese and whey. It is left to stand for a while longer, and then the cheese is kneaded in the whey liquid so that the cheese is completely kneaded and drained of the whey. The kneaded cheese is placed in a cheese mold and quickly turned over so that the cheese head takes its shape.

Gurian pastries

I remembered bread with cheese, and I'll make a logical transition to Gurian pastries.

It's probably best to start talking about baked goods by baking bread.

Any part of Georgia is unimaginable without Georgian bread.

Many families in Guria have their own bakery and bake their bread in the bakery. They bake long, thin lavash. The dough is kneaded in the usual way: sifted flour, salt, yeast, and warm water.

In the past, in ancient times, in Guria, they first washed and dried the wheat, spread it on a thin mesh-like tray and let it dry for 3-4 days. Then they ground this flour in a mendzili. A mendzili is a sieve that sifts cleanly. When they kneaded the dough, they would remove the leavening agent, and instead of yeast, they would use the dough again. The dough would remain, rise, and it was ready. They would add soda to this small dough and then add it to the dough. They baked it in the same way as chad, except that they did not spread leaves on the bottom of the bread. They baked the bread on a ketzi, either on a kitchen fire or in a fireplace. They would put the ketzi in the fireplace and so on. The dough was placed low so that it did not touch the tin covering it. They poured flour at the bottom. If it got too hot, this flour would stop the dough from rising. In Guria, they know how to bake round and square bread. Those who have a bakery also know how to bake lavash.

Gurian Khachapuri

Of course, just like all over Georgia, they bake khachapuri in Guria.

The dough for khachapuri is kneaded with lukewarm water, with a little baking soda to help the dough rise. They say that for khachapuri to be delicious, the cheese must be well-mixed. Gurian khachapuri is topped with beaten egg yolk before baking, which makes the khachapuri deliciously crispy and beautifully browned.

Guruli rice

There are two types of khachapuri: one is traditional, with a cheese filling wrapped in a dough ball, and the other is a cheese filling spread on an open dough and mixed together.

Khachapuri prepared in this way is called brinjula in Guria.

Brinjula is a famous khachapuri made from thin dough and topped with grated cheese. Rice is not used in brinjula at all, it's just that in the old days, when there was a shortage of flour, khachapuri was baked not with flour but with rice flour. The dough was kneaded only with flour and water. After they had kneaded the thin dough, they spread it out on a baking sheet or whatever they had on hand at the time and sprinkled it with grated cheese, into which an egg had also been grated. They would also pour egg yolk on top, which would give the khachapuri a nice crispiness during baking, and bake it.

Bread and khachapuri are nothing new and are made in every corner of Georgia, although each region prepares it in its own way, but still...

And Gurian pie belongs only to Gurians, and now I will introduce you to the method of its preparation.

Gurian pies

The dough for Gurian pie is kneaded with butter, sour cream, and a little oil, and the filling is filled with cheese and, most characteristic of this pie, a boiled egg.

The kneaded dough is rolled out into a crescent shape. Boiled eggs are evenly placed on top, cut into circles, and grated cheese is sprinkled on top, filling the entire cavity.

This half-mold is folded over and the edges are sealed by hand. The main thing is that the pie is crescent-shaped. Before baking, an egg yolk is necessarily poured over the top. It is also baked in a pan. The pies cannot be turned over during baking. They are baked on one side, while the top layer of the egg yolk is beautifully and appetizingly browned.

Belly button

After the Gurian pies, we have prepared for you the most amazing and unknown thing, which, in addition to learning about another Gurian pastry, will also introduce you to the Gurian New Year tradition.

The belly prayer is only offered at Christmas, and they make as many belly prayers as there are members in the family, so to speak, this prayer is individual.

To prepare you will need: dough, boiled eggs and cheese.

The dough balls are rolled out one by one, in the same quantity as they are made.

They will stack these balls and first roll one into a round, thin, circular shape.

It is done first on the head of the family and the mother of the family. Then, in order, on the family members, from the eldest to the youngest.

They roll out the dough, then place a boiled, whole egg in the middle. They arrange grated cheese around it, if the cheese is low-fat, add butter in rings, and fold it over like khachapuri. The dough will have to be folded over the egg, and they will fold the dough into the sides so that it is folded over the sides with their hands, while the egg filling is placed horizontally inside. The final shape is round.

The belly button is rubbed with oil along with egg yolk, which browns well and has a nice yellow color.

The head of the family makes a big belly prayer, a cross is drawn on the dough. The mother of the family makes 2 crosses, then 3 crosses on each family member, and so on... The number of crosses may vary, but the children laugh that the one with 4 crosses is theirs. The belly prayer is made on the evening of January 6, which is when Christmas is coming! In Guria, in the evening, when families would bake, they would place the belly prayer on a wooden stand and cover it with a cloth. When they got up in the morning, the family members would find the belly prayer ready. When they took this belly prayer in their hands, they would wrap it around their stomach on the right side and say 3 times: "My stomach pain has gone up to the wind, down to the water" and then eat it.

Pepmez

As everything goes with sweetness, I would like to end this article with a sweet treat typical of the Gurus.

In Guria, they know how to make a sweet called pepmezi from fermented wine.

They take the sweet juice of the wine and boil it for a long time. As a result of fermentation, they get a thick mass, pour the finished juice into bottles and store it for years. It is not afraid of mold. They would drain it as needed, mix it with water, like 2 cups of water for 1 cup, and prepare it as a sweet juice to serve on the table. They also used it to make felamush. Nowadays, pepmez is almost no longer made.

Honey vodka

I would also like to say a few words about the Gurian honey vodka, which is famous throughout the world.

As the Gurus say, honey, beeswax, and wax are needed to make this vodka. Wax is flower pollen. When bees mix honey in their combs, they also pour some wax into the beeswax. Some hives can hold two to three kilos of wax. To make honey vodka, they need to crush the wax, beeswax, and honey together in a boiling pot, then add a little water and let it simmer until it boils naturally. When it boils, only then do they start distilling the vodka.

Janjukha

As for the sweets characteristic of the Guria people, they make a different kind of churchkhela in Guria and it is called janjukha.

Janjukha is a Gurian churchkhela that is made from hazelnut kernels, not walnut kernels.

It also differs from standard churchkheli in that pelamush is not made from bread flour but from chad flour, which is previously sifted through a sieve, the so-called merdini, and such flour is called gamerdineli.

The preparation method is standard: the hazelnut kernels are strung on a string, then taken out and hung to dry.

Janjukha with apple slices

I probably haven't said anything about the strange and new Churchkhela, but I've left something interesting for last, and that's janjukha made with apple slices.

When it gets cold and families have fires burning, they dry apple cores in this warmth. The dried cores, like walnuts and hazelnut kernels, are strung on a thread, which is then pulled out and dried in a kiln. They dry them both over fire and in the air. If they dry in the air, the main thing is to dry them in the shade so that they do not wither in the sun.

Janjukha made from apple skins is also called dried fruit janjukha.

Inflammation

Dried fruits are made in Guria, as in other parts of Georgia. In the Guria region, dried fruits are mostly made from apples and karalioks. Dried fruits of plums and other types are made to a lesser extent.

...

As I mentioned above, my Guru guides taught me many things that you probably won't find anywhere else, and here's one of them...

In the old days, they even used to make something like this... They cleaned the corn cobs, dried them, and rolled them into pellets. When they dried, they looked like churchkhela. When they ate them, they only wrapped them in the pellets; the corn cobs were obviously not eaten. As Gurian housewives told me, about 10 years ago, this kind of "churchkhela" was still made in families. Personally, I was very interested and I hope Gurians will continue this tradition.

Kalanda and Chichilaki.

When talking about Gurian cuisine, it is impossible not to mention Kalanda and Chichilaki.

New Year's Eve is called Kalanda in Guria.

Chichilaki is a special treat made from a hazelnut branch for the New Year and is a special treat for the night of Kalandi!

The Guria people believe that a pig's head and fried vegetables must be on the table. Of course, a Kalanda feast cannot be complete without a butcher, and the Guria people call a butcher an aguna. In Guria, they say: "I have called you an aguna"...

When Aguna knocked on the closed door, the host would shout: "What do you want?"

Aguna would say: "I bring you health, joy, abundance, prosperity, and blessings." They would open the doors, and Aguna would enter, with New Year's gifts arranged on the table: candies, chichalaki, and various sweets.

Chichilaki, which is only prepared for New Year's Eve, usually has 4 crosses on top. In the past, the mother of the family would bake a small egg filled with cheese. All 4 peaks of this chichalaki are filled. An egg was placed on one, an apple on the second, a pear on the third, and an orange or tangerine on the fourth.

They knew how to string candies on the threads of the tiny burbushes of the chichilak, and the chichilak was wrapped around with ivy leaves and kurkantela. Kurkantela are tiny red seeds that resemble acorns. They made a stand at the bottom of the chichilak and it was always placed in the middle of the fireplace, and here and there they lit a candle.

For those who don't know, chichilaki is made from hazelnut wood. The hazelnut branch is cut to the desired size and dried a little, then it is smoothed and processed with a special knife from top to bottom so that the burrs fall off. A cross is made on top, the cross must be placed horizontally, and the above-mentioned cross and sweets, tied to the tips, remained on the chichilaki until the Epiphany.

It is with such a sweet mood that I would like to end my introduction to Guria cuisine, and I would like to invite you to travel to Guria and taste it all in person again and again.