Churchkhela

Churchkhela is a traditional Georgian candle-shaped brittle confection.

The main ingredients of churchkhela are grape must, nuts, and flour. 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. 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.

Georgian warriors carried churchkhela with them because they contain many calories. The traditional technology of churchkhela in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.

Churchkhela (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 with several companies starting up and taking off, like Chella, who make churchkhela in Vancouver, British Columbia, and La Fabrique St-George, who make Georgian wine in traditional qvevris.