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What is churchkhela made of and how do you make it at home?

Nuts, grape juice, flour and three days of drying.

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Short answer

Churchkhela is made from nuts strung on a thread (walnuts in Kakheti) and dipped in tatara, a condensed grape juice boiled with wheat flour. The home recipe needs 2 liters of grape juice, 150 g of flour and 250 g of walnuts. The drying takes about three days.

Where to buy churchkhela and how much it costs faq-cover-food-and-restaurants.png

Why

  1. Churchkhela is nuts on a string and tatara: sweet condensed grape juice boiled with wheat flour.
  2. Churchkhela keeps well, which is why Georgian warriors carried it with them.
  3. The tatara is applied in layers, and the churchkhela has to dry between them.

Details

The most popular version is the Kakhetian one with walnut halves. In western Georgia a similar sweet is called janjukha and usually uses hazelnuts and corn flour. Churchkhela is dried in a sunny, well-ventilated place and stored wrapped in cotton in a dark, dry spot. For where to buy it, see the question on buying churchkhela, and for more to try, the one on Georgian food.

Recipe: 6 servings, 30 minutes of work and about 3 days of drying. Ingredients:

  • 2 liters (8½ cups) of 100% fresh grape juice, no added sugar and not from concentrate (two batches of 1 liter)
  • 150 g (1 cup) flour (two batches of 75 g)
  • 120 ml (½ cup) neutral oil (two batches of 60 ml)
  • 250 g (2 cups) walnut halves
  • thread and a needle for stringing

Method:

  1. First roux: heat 60 ml of oil over medium heat until it shimmers, whisk in 75 g of flour and cook for about 3–5 minutes, until it darkens slightly and smells lightly toasted.
  2. First tatara: gradually and continuously whisk 1 liter of grape juice into the roux to prevent lumps. The mixture will sizzle and seize at first, then loosen.
  3. Reduce: bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about an hour, whisking occasionally, until very thick and reduced by about half. Keep whisking so it doesn't scorch.
  4. String the walnuts (while the tatara cooks): thread a needle with doubled thread, knot the end and string walnut halves tightly together. About 15 per string works, though tradition calls for 25. Leave a loop at the top for hanging.
  5. Cool: take the tatara off the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly but is still viscous.
  6. Dip: dip one string at a time, coating the walnuts fully. Lift it out, let the excess drip for a few seconds without shaking, and hang it to dry.
  7. First dry: let the churchkhela dry for 24 hours.
  8. Second dip: make a second batch of tatara with the remaining oil, flour and grape juice, cool it and dip the strings again to build a thick outer layer.
  9. Final dry: hang for 48–72 hours, until firm and not very soft. Pull the thread out through the walnuts before eating. The walnuts darken slightly as they dry.

Tip

Use 100% grape juice with no added sugar and not from concentrate, as in the recipe, and pour it into the flour base gradually while whisking to avoid lumps.

What may differ

The recipe depends on the region: walnuts are more common in Kakheti, while the west has janjukha with hazelnuts and corn flour. Oil is added to the base. Storage times vary: up to three months at room temperature, but it is better to eat it within a couple of weeks and not keep it more than a few months.

Common misconception

Churchkhela is always made from walnuts and wheat flour.

What actually happens

The Kakhetian walnut version is the most popular, but in western Georgia the similar janjukha usually uses hazelnuts and corn flour.

People also ask

  • What is churchkhela made of?
  • How is churchkhela made?

Sources

Drying takes 24 hours after the first coat and 48–72 hours after the second, so don't eat it sooner.

Where to buy churchkhela and how much it costs

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