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What is narchvi cheese?

A Svan cow's-milk cheese ripened in wooden boxes.

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Short answer

Narchvi is a Georgian cheese made from natural cow's milk with salt and ripened in wooden boxes, and the word means "gathered" in Svan. It was long made at home and is now also produced commercially, and the tradition of making it has Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

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Why

  1. Georgia's National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation granted the tradition Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
  2. Cheese is collected over two-day periods, usually from August to late autumn, and stored for winter.
  3. The name is Svan: Svaneti is a mountainous region in northwestern Georgia.

Details

The curd is kneaded for a long time, then the cheese is squeezed, packed into the box, left to ripen and formed under pressure. The boxes are made of thick planks of deciduous wood and tightly closed so the cheese keeps its shape. The whole process takes about two months.

Narchvi is used to make chvishtari and is baked into khachapuri, often with green onions and sometimes hemp seeds. The article cites a 2019 Saveur piece, "Georgia's Forgotten Cheese", which described narchvi as having a deep, intense flavor. On khachapuri, see types of khachapuri and which cheese to use for khachapuri, and on Svan foods, Svan salt.

Tip

If you want to try narchvi, look for it in khachapuri or chvishtari, where the article says it is used.

What may differ

The article gives no prices or places to buy. Homemade and commercial cheese may differ.

People also ask

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Sources

This answer is for reference and is based on the Georgia Travel article. Recipes and serving in cafes may differ.

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