Traditional dishes of Abkhazian cuisine. Recipes for dishes of Abkhazian cuisine. First meal. Soups. Useful properties and contraindications
Hello everyone, my dears! You know, in spite of the fact that we were in Abkhazia for only a few days, we managed to taste so many delicious things ... Until now, drooling. We decided to bring some food as a gift to our relatives, and they were delighted. Therefore, today I decided to briefly tell you what to try in Abkhazia from sweets and what food can be brought to loved ones as a gift.
In this article:
1. Wine
In general, I don’t like wine and don’t drink it for the last 3 years, because in our Ural stores they sell the full “G”: tasteless, sour, bitter, which makes my lips red.
But Abkhazian wine is really delicious.
At first, in one cafe, we tried homemade wine, it is not on the menu, but if you ask, they will pour it from under the floor, so to speak. Very sweet and pleasant like compote.
Then we decided to try the local wine (white) from the store - also very tasty. As a result, they took several bottles of Psou to their family and friends as a gift. They were delighted. Wine prices, by the way, are very reasonable: from 200 rubles per bottle.
2. Soda
I am a big fan of carbonated drinks, although I know very well that it is harmful. But this is my weakness, once a week or 2 weeks I definitely allow myself such a yummy.
There is a carbonated beverage plant in Abkhazia. The tastes are so unusual and varied, very beautiful bottles, I really want to try everything. I honestly tried to do it ;-).
2. Meat
I don’t know, maybe this is a good coincidence, but we have never come across a dish with bad meat (undercooked, streaked, for example). It is always pulp, always crumbly. Mmmm ... lick your fingers.
Unfortunately, I did not remember a single exotic name for local dishes. Just take any meat, you can't go wrong.
3. Soups
I am a big fan of rich soups. Since everything is in order with meat in Abkhazia, then everything is cool with soups. In addition, I really love the competent combination of spices, and the Abkhazians know how to do this, since the taste of soups is simply indescribable.
By the way, be sure to read the article about that, where I tell you what a real hodgepodge in Abkhazia is. And no, this is not soup.
4. Spices
If you go to the market, be sure to pay attention to the spices. Perhaps, today you will not surprise anyone with colored sets of spices.
But with braids made of natural peppers, onions and garlic, you can pamper yourself. You can even buy such a pigtail as a gift for your friends, it will look very impressive in any kitchen.
5. Churchkhela
If you try the local churchkhela, the rest (in Russia) will seem like a piece of shit to you, I beg your pardon, but it is. Everything that I tried before (in Sochi) or after (in the Crimea) is just be-e-e-e compared to this one.
Sweet, soft, with different nuts ... Just delicious. On tourist stalls, it is sold for 100 rubles apiece, and on the market you can find it for 30 rubles. So take more of it right away.
7. Cheese
Local markets sell homemade cheese, be sure to try it, it is a real treat. We were not able to bring it with us, as such cheese goes bad outside the refrigerator very quickly. Therefore, stock up on road refrigerators, useful for future road trips. Or try on the spot.
9. Tortillas with cheese
I do not remember the exact name of these cakes, perhaps it is khachapuri. The bottom line is that there is a huge amount of cheese between two layers of thin dough.
There is such a dish in almost any cafe, we ordered it instead of bread. Well, where in Russia will they put so much cheese for you? Nowhere. So be sure to try it.
Dear friends, while I was writing this post, I splattered all over the keyboard with my saliva. I really hope this article was helpful to you. Be sure to read mine, where I tell you what is really worth fearing in this country. And I have everything for today, thank you for your attention, I wish you delicious travel. Bye everyone!
The Caucasus is a distinctive region, sometimes incomprehensible, rather “difficult”, if we recall Russian history. But be that as it may, hardly anyone will argue with the fact that the Caucasus is also one of the most “delicious” regions of our country.
Actually, the Caucasus is a symbiosis of traditions, including culinary ones. That is why there is the concept of "Caucasian cuisine", which includes recipes for dishes traditional for the peoples inhabiting these regions. But it would be wrong to forget that every people living in the Caucasus, of course, has many of its own culinary traditions. The people of Abkhazia also have them. It is about the Abkhaz cuisine that our story will go now.
Hello Abkhazia!
Abkhazia is located in the northwestern part of the Caucasus. In the north, it borders on Russia, along the Psou River. In the south - with Georgia, along the Inguri river. West, southwest of Abkhazia is washed by the waters of the Black Sea. In the east, there are mountain ranges. The climate in the republic is subtropical on the sea coast and in the mountains, up to an altitude of about 400 m above sea level. Above - the altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed. From 2700 m above sea level, eternal snow begins.
The rather mild climate of Abkhazia, fertile soils - all this promoted and contributes to the traditional activities of the local population - gardening, gardening, viticulture, cattle breeding, as well as beekeeping. As for classical farming, its main product in Abkhazia is corn. Of course, nowadays many are "torn off" from the earth - they earn their living by serving tourists, because Abkhazia is a famous resort region. But this is more true for young people. However, Abkhaz families, as a rule, are quite large and someone (usually from the middle or older generation) certainly grows vegetables and fruits, keeps one or more cows, pigs, chickens ...
Products obtained from private households have always constituted a large part of the diet of the inhabitants of Abkhazia. Nowadays, a lot of edibles are imported into the republic (from Russia, Turkey), but still today the tendency to eat "their" products in Abkhazia is quite strong.
Abkhazian cuisine is, in fact, two types of food: flour (agukhu - abkh.) And everything else (atyfa). It must be said that in comparison with other peoples of the Caucasus, the Abkhaz eat relatively little meat. Their diet is dominated by plant foods rich in minerals and vitamins, as well as dairy products. This was noted in his time by Evgeny Mikhailovich Schilling (1892-1953), a famous Soviet scientist-Caucasian specialist.
Mamalyga-mother
Abkhazian cuisine is impossible without mamalyga (abyst), this is one of the main dishes of Abkhazian cuisine. The Abkhaz consider it their national, in which they come into conflict with the Romanians living on the opposite shore of the Black Sea and the Moldovans who have joined them: they are sure that the hominy "came" from their native places. By the way, William Pokhlebkin and the famous culinary specialist Boris Burda agree with them. But the latter is a native of Odessa, from which Romania and Moldova are a stone's throw away, so he can be engaged.
One way or another, there is nowhere in Abkhazia without hominy. It is generally accepted that it replaces bread for the Abkhaz. Earlier, perhaps, it really was. But today they also eat ordinary bread, mostly wheat. However, the traditional Abkhazian table is still unthinkable without mamalyga. It is eaten on weekdays and holidays, served at a commemoration. Mamalyga is, in fact, fresh corn porridge. It is made from corn flour, sometimes with the addition of corn grits. It is usually quite thick and is eaten by hand, slicing off pieces with a knife or simply breaking off. Serve hominy correctly on a special wooden plank. On top of the porridge-bread, put two or three pieces of salted suluguni cheese (ashvlaguan). It is less of a decoration, more of a necessity. After all, unleavened hominy is not so tasty without cheese. Lobio is also served with mamalyga (an ancient spicy dish made from red or green green beans, which, however, is referred to as Georgian cuisine), adjika. You can find the recipe for the classic Abkhazian hominy on our website.
In addition to "ordinary" mamalyga, they are also cooked in Abkhazia and its varieties: in milk with cheese (achamykva), thin mamalyga with nut butter (ashlarkunta), seasoned with sour milk cheese (ailadzh-mamalyga). In general, corn flour is used very actively in Abkhaz cuisine. In addition to hominy, it is needed for making churek - unleavened flatbread with honey or stuffed with walnuts, cheese. Ahampal is boiled bread, corn flour is also needed for their preparation. It is also included in the recipe for Abkhazian halva (atsvyvrtsma). And the very corn itself, the grains of which have not yet become flour, are loved by Abkhazians. Some eat cobs of milky-wax ripeness even raw. In addition, they are, of course, boiled and fried.
Adjika is the head of everything
Adjika is another most important component of the Abkhaz cuisine. Without it, Abkhazians eat only sweets, but they drink tea, which, by the way, they themselves grow. In Abkhazian hospitality sounds like "achedzhika", which means "bread-adjika" (by analogy with "bread and salt").
The secret of making a real Abkhazian adjika, as a rule, is passed down from generation to generation. And it's not easy beautiful words, a worn-out stamp. This is indeed the case. Usually, older women are engaged in the preparation of adjika in Abkhaz families. Young people simply do not have time for this. Each family has its own adjika. Of course, the basis of the recipe, the technology, is, in principle, the same, but there are always family secrets of making adjika, which, as a rule, consist in the addition of certain spices, their quantity. Every Abkhaz visiting his parents (especially in the village) necessarily takes with him to the city several jars of adjika - for himself and for friends.
Traditionally, adjika is made from hot red capsicum- he is the basis of adjika. Abkhazians sow pepper seeds in March. The sprouts are planted in open soil in early May. When the pepper is ripe (in October), it is harvested and dried. It is best to dry the peppers first in the barn, and then in the traditional Abkhazian wicker apatskh (kitchen) over the hearth. In this case, the pods are in smoke, acquire a special taste, and darken their color. After that, the pods are separated from the stalks. In some regions of Abkhazia, seeds are also removed - in order to rid the adjika of the bitter taste. But with seeds, adjika turns out to be more burning and aromatic. Next, the pods are soaked in hot water, 3-4 hours, under load. Then garlic, coriander and other spices are added to the pepper. All this is placed on a large flat grater stone and rubbed with another stone of a smaller size. Yes, exactly so, in accordance with the most real old technologies. You can, of course, grind the pepper with a meat grinder, but any Abkhaz will tell you that this is not the case. The taste will be different, adjika from a meat grinder will never become as fragrant as the one made by the method of ancestors. At the end, at the end of the grinding, table salt is added. Everything. Adjika is ready. You can store it in glass jars, in the refrigerator or in the cellar, but this is not necessary. "Correct" adjika will not disappear even at room temperature. Spreading real Abkhaz adjika on bread and eating is an incomparable pleasure!
The Abkhaz, by the way, are the main Caucasian centenarians. So, according to scientists (and the phenomenon of Abkhazian longevity has been studied and is being studied modern science), an important role in the fact that many Abkhaz live a very long time is played by adjika, which they eat throughout their lives.
Abkhazians themselves say that adjika educates. Its abundant use burns. Therefore, adjika fosters moderation, because its moderate use brings sharpness and brightness to life.
Milk rivers
Dairy. They, like mamalyga with adjika, are a very important element of the Abkhaz cuisine. Abkhazians drink milk mainly from cows. However, the goat is also honored. Abkhazians also love buffalo milk, but now the tradition of its use is poorly spread.
Matsoni is prepared everywhere in Abkhazia. In principle, this fermented milk drink cannot be called exactly Abkhazian: yogurt is considered a Georgian drink. It was from Georgia that he "penetrated" into the Abkhaz cuisine. Its analogue among the Armenians is called matsun. However, in Abkhazia, the Armenians also call it matsoni, for the connection of the Abkhaz Armenians with the Armenians from Armenia is rather arbitrary. Often they can't even understand each other (the language is different). But this is a completely different, long Caucasian story ...
Cooking yogurt is easy. Natural milk is boiled, then it cools, but not to room temperature, but to about 48-50 ° (you need a water thermometer). Next, the milk must be mixed with a special sourdough and poured into jars. It is advisable to wrap the jars of "almost yogurt" warmer and leave for 12 hours. If you do this in the evening, you can have a glass of delicious and wholesome yogurt for breakfast.
A small snag may arise due to the fact that the "correct" sourdough is needed to make real yogurt. The only place on planet Earth where it can be found is the Caucasus and Abkhazia in particular. The fact is that the milk of Abkhazian cows tastes different from the one we are used to. No, of course, it's still milk, not wine or tangerine juice. It's just that Abkhazian cows are more mobile, they climb the mountains, eat fresh grass most of the year, and milk them once a day (at least in the warm season). This is at best if the cow deigns to "go down from the mountains" for the night. This gift cannot but be reflected in the taste of milk. It is no better and no worse than "our", just a little different. Of course, on the Internet, there are recipes for yogurt with sourdough, for example, from sour cream "House in the Village", but here, as they say, "everyone chooses for himself."
In addition to yogurt, there is also just sour milk (ahartsvy). It is customary to eat it with honey in Abkhazia. And if you dilute the sour milk by half cold water- you get ahartsvydzyua, - a drink that perfectly quenches your thirst in the summer heat.
Don't forget about the cheeses. They are an important part of the Abkhaz diet. In addition to the suluguni (ashvlaguan) already mentioned here, the Abkhaz make delicious sour milk cheese - ashvadza. Smoked cheese is very tasty (the same ashvlaguan is smoked over a fire). And ashvchapan is generally delicious. This is suluguni stuffed with sour milk cheese and mint, as well as spicy milk (!) Sauce. Several types of wineskin cheeses and homemade cottage cheese are also made in Abkhazia.
Meat, seafood, herbs
Although the scientist M.E. Shilling that the Abkhaz, in comparison with other Caucasian peoples, eat a little meat, but they still eat it.
In addition to meat fried on a spit, in the preparation of which Abkhazians are great specialists, they also eat boiled, stewed and smoked meat (“Culinary Edem” talked about the technology of smoking meat by Abkhazians earlier). Nowadays, Abkhazians eat beef most often. Less commonly, lamb and goat meat. Wild meat is considered a special delicacy.
Abkhazians also eat pork. However, it is worth remembering that for a long time Abkhazia was under the rule of the Muslim Ottoman Empire and this still makes itself felt: not every family eats piglets. However, the Abkhaz still keep pigs (they, like cows, are not tied "to a pole", but "walk by themselves"). So tourists should not worry: there is no tension with pork kebab in the republic.
Among poultry, chickens take the lead. Besides them, Abkhazians eat turkeys. But geese and ducks are much less common. Chickens fried on a spit, but with a sour-hot cherry plum sauce or adjika - delicious. Not to mention chicken stewed in peanut sauce (acute food) ...
If Abkhazians don't eat at all, it's horse meat. They prefer to ride horses in the mountains. In addition, seafood is not very popular in Abkhazia, which, you see, is a little surprising. Abkhazians mainly prepare mussels for the guests of their country. They do not burn with love for crayfish and crabs. Fish is eaten only fried in a pan or on a skewer; it is rarely smoked and dried. There are almost no soups in Abkhaz cuisine. Is that a soup made of millet and beans, beloved by Abkhazians.
Naturally, there is a lot of greenery in Abkhaz cuisine. Basil (regan) and coriander (cilantro) occupy a special place, perhaps. They are put in various salads and other dishes or eaten just like that.
In general, Abkhaz cuisine, although it cannot boast of a wide variety of dishes, is the most important component of the Caucasian culinary tradition. Abkhazia can undoubtedly be called the “gastronomic pearl of the Caucasus”. Abkhazian dishes, whether tasted in a Sukhumi restaurant, or cooked at home in Moscow, will bring you real pleasure. Bon appetit and Caucasian longevity!
Daniil Golovin
Dmitry Egorov
One of the main Abkhaz national dishes is mamalyga, a porridge made from corn flour, which is boiled in water without adding salt. Abkhazia has whole line various variations of hominy - so, it is prepared with cottage cheese, milk, cheese. Corn flour, widespread in Abkhazia, is also used to make flat cakes that replace bread for Abkhazians. Of course, corn on the cob (boiled, fried or baked) is also a popular local dish. In general, many dishes of the Abkhaz national cuisine are prepared either from corn flour or from corn itself. But wheat flour is rarely used, mainly for making cheese pies (something like khachapuri) and cheese dumplings (something like khinkali).
An important element of today's Abkhazian cuisine is meat. As a rule, meat or poultry is first cut into large pieces, and then boiled or fried on open fire... It is interesting that the Abkhazian traditional cuisine practically does not recognize soups and broths - Abkhazians still eat and cook them rarely.
However, if we compare the Abkhaz cuisine with other cuisines of the peoples of the Caucasus, then meat is used much less often in it. But in the use of fresh vegetables, Abkhazians are in first place among the Caucasian peoples. IN summer time years, the most popular are fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions, in winter time- pickles, kohlrabi, artichokes, radishes. Almost every meal, whatever the main course, is accompanied by plenty of fresh herbs on the table. Abkhazians actively eat parsley, dill, cilantro, watercress, and usually they do not add greens to dishes, but serve them separately fresh. However, these features of the Abkhaz cuisine are typical for many other cuisines of this region.
A story about Abkhaz cuisine would be incomplete without mentioning adjika. Adjika is perhaps the most popular invention of the Abkhaz cuisine, which today is in demand not only in Russia, but also in many other countries. Abkhazians are happy to add this aromatic spicy paste to almost all their dishes, as a result of which the dishes of the Abkhaz cuisine have a special, unique aroma and taste. The main ingredient in adjika is red pepper, garlic and various herbs must be added to it. It is not difficult to cook adjika at home, but only Abkhazians know how to cook it really tasty.
It should be noted that a variety of spicy sauces and condiments are generally a very important part of the Abkhaz cuisine, and adjika is the most popular, but not the only example. So, Abkhazians know how to cook sauces and seasonings from cherry plums, barberries, blackberries, tomatoes. They are served with hominy and meat dishes.
The most popular Abkhaz drink is undoubtedly wine. There is historical evidence that the Abkhaz were engaged in winemaking 4-5 thousand years ago. Today, excellent white and red wine is produced here, which is in demand not only in Abkhazia itself, but also abroad. In addition to wine, an important national drink is chacha - grape vodka, which almost every Abkhaz farmer makes today.
In Abkhazian cuisine, the assortment of meat or vegetable soups is not so great. Usually, clear broths (atvan) are cooked from beef, lamb, chicken, quail. Soups mainly contain vegetables, beans and cereals. A must-have ingredient in soups is seasoning: adjika, crushed garlic, aromatic herbs. In addition to adjika and garlic, pounded yolks of hard-boiled eggs are added to the poultry broth.
Akudrza - bean soup
Ingredients:
beans (grains) - 100 g, onion- 2-3 heads, garlic - 2-3 cloves, leeks - 1-2 heads, adjika - 1 tablespoon, corn flour - 1 tablespoon, parsley, cilantro and dill - 5-6 each twigs, vegetable oil - 50 g, salt and other seasonings - to taste.
Cooking method:
We sort out the beans, rinse, put in a saucepan, add water and bring to a boil. Next, we change the water, boil again and cook over low heat. In the process of cooking, add chopped leeks, 1-2 celery branches and 2-3 parsley roots. Shortly before readiness, season the soup with onions fried with corn flour and adjika, garlic crushed with salt, chopped parsley, dill and cilantro. Greaves can be added to this soup.
Akhudzrtsa - millet soup
Ingredients:
millet - 100 g, water - 2.5 cups, whole milk - 3 cups, salt and sugar to taste.
Cooking method:
We sort out the millet, rinse it, fill it with cold water, leave it for 1 hour. Drain the water, pour the cereal into boiling water and cook until tender. Pour hot milk into the cooked millet, add salt, sugar to taste, stir, cook for 5-7 minutes and leave for another 15-20 minutes.
Ingredients:
sour milk - 3-3.5 cups, green onions - 50-75 g, cucumbers - 150 g, radishes - 50 g, garlic - 1-2 cloves, dill - 4-5 branches, eggs - 2 pcs, salt and adjika - to taste.
Cooking method:
Cut the cucumbers into cubes, chop the radishes and onions, put everything in a saucepan or a deep bowl, fill in with sour milk diluted with cold boiled water, season with crushed garlic, adjika and salt to taste. Cook eggs hard-boiled, chop finely and add to the soup. Sprinkle with chopped dill just before use.
Ingredients:
beef - 1 kg, tomato paste - 3 tbsp, ready-made adjika - 1 tsp, garlic - 3 cloves, pickles - 2 pcs, capers - 1 tbsp, onion - 2 pcs, vegetable oil - 1/4 cup, bay leaf - 2 pcs, peppercorns - 5 pcs, water - 1 glass, parsley and cilantro, salt - to taste.
Cooking method:
Pour oil into a saucepan. Cut the onion into cubes and put in a saucepan, simmer for 3 minutes. Cut the beef into small pieces. Add the heat and put the meat in the stewpan. Fry lightly, pour in water, reduce heat, cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer the beef for 1.5 hours. Add more water if needed. 15 minutes before cooking, add chopped unpeeled pickled cucumbers, peppercorns and bay leaves to the meat. Simmer for 4 minutes, add tomato paste, slightly diluted with water, simmer for another minute. Add the capers, season the hodgepodge with garlic and adjika to taste. Simmer until tender. Sprinkle the finished hodgepodge with chopped parsley and cilantro.
Ingredients:
lamb - 500 g, groats - 40-50 g, onions - 2-3 heads, garlic - 1-2 cloves, tomato puree - 20 g, melted lamb fat - 50 g, adjika - 1 tablespoon, greens dill and parsley - 3-6 twigs each, water - 2-2.5 liters, salt and other seasonings - to taste.
Cooking method:
Finely chop the lamb, wash it, put it in a saucepan, fill it with cold water and cook over low heat. Add 1 head of onion, 2-3 parsley roots to the broth. Then add any cereal you want. Add adjika and tomato puree to the onion sautéed in lamb fat. Shortly before cooking, season the soup with onions, crushed garlic with salt and finely chopped herbs.
Ingredients:
lamb - 500 g, beans - 50 g, onions - 2-3 heads, garlic - 3-4 cloves, cilantro, dill and parsley - 3-4 sprigs each, leeks - 1 head, corn flour - 1 tbsp .l., ready-made adjika - 1-2 tsp, dry mixture spicy herbs- 1 tsp, fat - 50-70 g, water - 2-2.5 l, salt and other spices to taste.
Cooking method:
Cut the lamb into pieces, rinse and put in a saucepan, add the sorted and washed beans, fill with cold water, cook over low heat. In the process of cooking, add chopped leeks and 1-2 parsley roots to the broth. Finely chop the onion, sauté it with adjika and corn flour in lamb fat, and fry until the fat becomes transparent. Shortly before readiness, season the soup with fried onions, crushed garlic with salt, finely chopped herbs.
Ingredients:
quail - 2 pieces, potatoes - 6 pieces (medium), rice - 50 g, onions - 1 head, carrots - 1 piece, adjika, salt, spices, bay leaf, greens (cilantro) - 1 bunch.
Cooking method:
Process the quails, cover with cold water and cook until tender. Then put them out of the broth. Add finely chopped potatoes and washed rice to the broth. Put the dressing in the soup 10-15 minutes before being ready. Dressing: finely chop the onion and fry until golden brown in vegetable oil, add chopped carrots, fry a little, add spices and adjika. Cook the soup until tender, add salt, add finely chopped cilantro. Cut the quails into portions and arrange them on bowls of soup, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve hot.
Ingredients:
meat (lamb or beef) - 500 g, corn cobs - 1 kg, potatoes - 500 g, cilantro, dill and parsley - 3-4 sprigs each, onions - 1 bunch, carrots - 1 pc, onions - 1 pc , garlic - 1-2 cloves, adjika - 1 tsp, bay leaf - 1-2 pcs, tomatoes - 100 g, salt and other spices - to taste.
Cooking method:
Boil meat broth. Remove corn kernels from the cob (use corn in the milky stage). Cut the potatoes into medium-sized slices and place with the corn kernels in the broth. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Cut carrots into thin slices, chop onions, fry everything slightly, add tomato puree or fresh tomatoes, adjika, garlic, seasonings. Pour into broth 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Season the soup with chopped herbs before serving.
Abkhazian cuisine has long been famous for its unique traditions. As you know, in the country itself, people live to old age. It is believed that longevity is promoted by the fact that the main dishes are prepared from vegetables, with the use of amazing spices.
Kitchen secrets
What is interesting about the national Abkhaz cuisine? What secrets does she keep? Why is she so good?
The country of Abkhazia itself is famous for its rocky soils and mild climate. As you can imagine, all this contributes to the fact that Agriculture is developing. This means that almost all dishes are of plant origin. Of course, such dishes are very tasty, but also healthy.
Although they cook less meat, they still have them. Of course, we will also consider similar dishes of the Abkhaz cuisine, but later.
Famous foods of the country
Now let's look at the popular Abkhaz dishes. Let's start with hominy. You have probably heard such a word more than once. Mamalyga is a national dish not only of Abkhazia, but also of Moldova and Romania.
In Abkhazia, no celebration is complete without such a meal. Only in this country it is called "abysta". And what is this dish?
Mamalyga - corn porridge cooked without salt. When creating a dish, finely ground cereals are used. The consistency of the porridge is thick. Therefore, you can easily eat it with your hands. As a rule, salty types of cheese are served with this dish, for example, suluguni. Such a product complements unleavened porridge.
Sometimes nuts, cheese are added to hominy, or it is cooked in milk. Let's take a look at the recipe for creating it.
Recipe
For cooking you will need (for three servings):
- 4 glasses of water;
- two glasses of finely ground cereals.
Preparation
- Sift the corn grits first.
- Then add a part to hot water, stirring so that there are no lumps. After periodically stir and cook until mushy.
- Then add the remaining grits, mix thoroughly.
- Cover with a lid, simmer for about twenty minutes. Then stir again and you can serve the dish.
Adjika
Abkhaz cuisine is famous all over the world, the recipes of its amazing adjika are known to many. In this country, each family has its own way of cooking, which is passed down from generation to generation.
In Russia, it is customary for dear guests to say: "bread and salt", and in Abkhazia - "achedzhika" (which means "adjika bread").
The basis of the dish is tomatoes. Spices and seasonings are added to them, as well as garlic, chili, etc. Adjika is stored for a long time even at room temperature. It is also eaten as a separate dish, as a bite with lavash or bread.
Abkhazian adjika recipe
For cooking you will need:
- 70 grams of dill (fresh, leafy), parsley and the same amount of basil;
- 400 grams of garlic;
- half a kilo of chili peppers and the same amount of tomatoes;
- 70 grams of coriander;
- salt (3 tbsp. l.).
Preparation:
- Rinse the pepper, dry it, cut off the caps.
- Wash the tomatoes, cut out the "butts".
- Peel the garlic.
- Rinse the greens, dry.
- Then grind all components, including salt, in a meat grinder (drive four times). You can use a blender to chop first.
- Next, pour the resulting (just do not use aluminum dishes) into a saucepan, cover it loosely with a lid. Leave it on for 4 days.
- Then put it in the jars.
Milk and milk dishes
Previously, the national dishes of the Abkhaz cuisine were prepared with the use of buffalo milk, and the citizens of the country also used it. In our time, this tradition has already been abandoned. Now Abkhazians prefer goat and cow milk.
The national Abkhaz cuisine is rich in dishes prepared with the above ingredients. A common drink in this country is yogurt. It is obtained by fermenting milk. You can use cow, goat or sheep. Initially, the milk is heated to the boiling point, then it cools down, and sourdough is added.
This drink is better absorbed than regular milk. The product is rich minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Yogurt contains many lactic microorganisms, which, as you know, have a positive effect on the intestinal microflora.
Abkhazian cuisine is rich in cheeses. Fermented milk, wineskin, and smoked are also cooked. They even make homemade cottage cheese. He's very popular there. For example, consider the option of making suluguni cheese.
Suluguni
For cooking you will need:
- 10 liters of fresh fat milk (preferably sheep or goat);
- liter of milk for sourdough;
- 1 gram of pepsin (available at the pharmacy).
Preparation:
- First, the leaven is made. To do this, dilute pepsin in a glass of milk (room temperature).
- Strain the rest of the milk through cheesecloth and put on fire, but not in an enamel bowl (otherwise it will burn), and heat to thirty degrees.
- Pour the sourdough into the warmed milk, cover the saucepan with a lid and put it in the heat for about thirty minutes.
- Then put a saucepan with milk over a low heat to simmer. The mass will curl up, collect it on one side of the vessel. This process will take five minutes.
- As a result, a lump turned out, throw it in a colander, let the excess liquid drain.
- Now let the young cheese ferment a little (a few hours) in the warmth.
- In the morning, check if it is ready for further processing. How to do it? Break off a piece, dip in water (heated) for five minutes. Is the cheese elastic and does not tear? Then he is ready. Otherwise, let it lie down a little longer.
- Cut the cheese into ribbons (2 cm thick).
- In a saucepan, heat the water to eighty degrees, dip the strips there. They will melt.
- The resulting mass should be cooked over low heat, stir with a wooden stick (in one direction).
- After the cheese is completely melted, remove the pan from the heat. Combine the whole mass into a single lump. Then take it out, make a cheese bun. Then dip it in cool water. That's all, the cheese is ready.
Meat
Many dishes are based on beef and chicken. Lamb and goat meat are less common. Pork is also cooked in the country. Seasonings are used in the cooking process.
Favorite dishes of the citizens of the country are chickens fried on a spit, as well as chicken boiled with adjika.
Fish is rarely eaten, and carcasses of kids and lambs are considered a delicacy. The citizens of the country practically do not use broths.
Herbs and spices
Abkhazian cuisine is distinguished by dishes, in the process of preparation of which a wide variety of greens are used. These are basil, savory, mint and others.
Wild herbs are also used (black squid, purslane, nettle, sarsaparilla, wild parsley, etc.). Little is used in the cooking process.
In general, Abkhazian cuisine does not differ in a large number of dishes, but it is quite nutritious, distinctive, tasty and healthy.
Now let's look at some more interesting dishes from this country.
Abkhaz cuisine: recipes for popular dishes
First, let's look at how Abkhazian beans and meat are prepared.
For cooking you will need:
- 300 grams of lamb;
- one large onion;
- cilantro greens (15 grams);
- 200 grams of red beans;
- a little adjika;
- salt.
Cooking:
- First, sort out the beans, cover with cold water.
- Cook with lamb (coarsely chopped).
- After bringing the meat to readiness, remove it, and continue to cook the beans.
- While cooking, add the tied bunches of cilantro (one-third of the total used). They are taken out after readiness.
- After the beans are cooked, mash them, add adjika, finely chopped onions.
- Then boil for another ten minutes.
- At the end of cooking, add boiled meat (cut into small pieces).
- Add chopped cilantro greens directly to the finished dish.
Bean soup
You can make this bean soup with both canned and fresh beans. To create a soup you will need:
- half a kilogram of meat (lamb, goat or beef);
- four potatoes;
- carrot;
- 200 grams of fresh beans (or canned can);
- onion;
- three cloves of garlic;
- two to three tablespoons of cornmeal and the same amount of tomato paste (or two fresh tomatoes).
Preparation:
- Put the sorted beans in water overnight so that they swell. You do not need to do this with canned food.
- Boil the meat in the morning, remove it from the pan, send the beans there. Simmer until tender, add parsley root and celery sprig in the process.
- Divide the meat into pieces, throw into the soup.
- Peel the potatoes, cut, add to the beans.
- Fry grated carrots and finely chopped onions in vegetable oil. Then add the pasta (or tomatoes), fry.
- After frying, send to soup.
- The dish is almost ready. It remains only to fry the flour with garlic (crushed), finely chopped parsley, dill, cilantro and adjika.
- Fill the soup with the resulting mass and wait for a boil.
Abkhazian cuisine: pastries
What is the most popular pastry in this country? Let's tell you now. If you are interested in Abkhazian cuisine, you will like khachapuri. To prepare such a dish, you will need:
- one and a half kilograms of Adyghe (or Imeretian) cheese;
- a kilogram of flour;
- one small egg;
- 400 ml of milk;
- 125 grams of butter (25 grams for greasing and 100 for dough);
- a tablespoon of sugar (optional);
- salt (teaspoon);
- 10 grams yeast (fast acting, dry).
Cooking process:
- Make a brew first. Mix warm milk with yeast, sugar and flour (0.5 cups). Then stir. As a result, you should get a homogeneous mixture. Leave it for fifteen minutes.
- Heat the butter to melt. Cool it down.
- Sift flour, add eggs, dough, salt. Begin to knead the dough, gradually adding butter. As a result, it should become elastic. Wrap the finished dough in a towel and put in a warm place for an hour.
- When it rises, lower it and leave it for another three hours. If there is no time, then you can not wait so much, cook right away.
- Now make the filling. Grate the cheese (coarse), mash with a fork.
- Divide the matching dough into equal parts, roll each into a ball.
- Then make round cakes out of them. Place the cheese in a slide in the center of each. Pinch the edges, put on work surface so that the seam is at the bottom. Now press the balls on top with your palm to make cakes. Make an incision in the middle of each so that the steam can escape.
- Sprinkle the finished tortillas with flour and bake in the oven (preheated to 250 degrees - this is important!) For fifteen minutes. When the product is reddened, you can take it out.
Conclusion
Now you understand what traditional Abkhaz cuisine is. As you can see, it is very interesting. Dishes of the Abkhaz cuisine have a certain unique zest. We have told you the recipes - the most popular and interesting ones. We hope that you will be able to make such dishes at home.
