Khinkali: Georgian Cuisine, History and Varieties

Origin of Khinkali

Khinkali is a traditional Georgian dish, so it has its own history. There are many variants and theories of the origin of this treat. Here is one of them:

During the war of Georgia and Persia, many soldiers were seriously wounded. They could not eat solid food for various reasons. Then the housewives came up with this seemingly simple dish. All that was in the mountains was mutton, eggs, flour. Khinkali was invented there.

What is Khinkali

A Georgian dish resembling dumplings or manti. There is meat inside the dough. According to the original recipe — mutton. Khinkali is boiled in water, as well as dumplings.

Features

There are many peculiarities in the preparation of this Georgian treat. For example, meat is the most important ingredient in khinkali. It must be finely chopped, not minced. Chopped meat retains all the juice, from which a rich broth is obtained in the finished form. Another feature is that during the process of wrapping khinkali, 28 folds should be obtained. The tip of the dish symbolizes the sun, and the folds represent the days of the solar cycle (according to tradition)

They also eat khinkali in a special way. First, they bite off a small piece, then drink the whole broth, then eat it completely, leaving the tip.

Types of khinkali

Khinkali differ depending on the region of the country. Each hostess has her own original recipe for this treat. Someone puts pork or beef instead of lamb. Someone adds cilantro or other spices, while others prefer clean meat. There are many cooking options.