Georgian Churchkhela Walnut Candy

About This Recipe

Churchkhela is Georgia's traditional grape-based candy, made by threading walnut halves onto a string and dipping them repeatedly into tklapi, a thick, smooth mixture of grape juice and flour cooked down until it clings to the nuts in an even coating. Each dip is followed by drying time, and the process is repeated several times until a substantial, even layer builds up around the walnuts, then the whole strand is hung to air-dry for days until it firms into a chewy, candlestick-shaped treat. The grape juice mixture, sometimes made purely from juice and flour or thickened further with a bit of cornstarch for a home-kitchen shortcut, needs to be cooked to the right consistency — thick enough to coat the nuts in a substantial layer without sliding off during the dips, but not so thick it clumps unevenly. Traditionally made in the autumn during the grape harvest, churchkhela has long been valued as a portable, long-lasting source of nutrition, sometimes described as an early energy bar. The finished candy has a distinctive chewy, slightly firm texture on the outside giving way to crunchy walnut inside, and it's traditionally hung and stored in cool, dry places where it will keep for months, its flavor deepening slightly as it continues to dry.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 6 cupsgrape juice(unsweetened, ideally from red grapes)
• 1 cupall-purpose flour
• 0.25 cupsugar(optional, if the grape juice is tart)
• 40walnut halves
• 1sturdy cotton thread or string

Instructions

1. 1

   Thread the walnuts

   Thread walnut halves onto a length of sturdy string using a large needle, leaving extra string at the top to hang.

2. 2

   Make the tklapi mixture

   Whisk flour into 1 cup of cold grape juice until completely smooth with no lumps. Heat the remaining grape juice with sugar if using, then whisk in the flour mixture.

3. 3

   Cook the mixture

   Simmer, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes until it thickens to a consistency similar to thick pudding.

   Whisk continuously and cook it long enough — an undercooked mixture will taste starchy and won't coat the nuts evenly.

4. 4

   Dip the walnut strands

   Dip each threaded strand of walnuts into the warm, thickened juice, coating evenly, then hang to dry for 1 to 2 hours.

5. 5

   Repeat the dipping

   Repeat the dipping and drying process 4 to 6 times, building up an even, substantial coating around the walnuts.

6. 6

   Cure fully

   Hang the finished strands in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place for 5 to 7 days until firm and no longer sticky to the touch.

Variations

• •

  Use a mix of walnuts and hazelnuts on the same string for a traditional variation seen in some regions.

• •

  Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or cloves to the grape juice mixture for a warmly spiced version.

• •

  Make a quicker, less traditional version by dipping the nuts only once or twice and refrigerating instead of long air-drying.

Storage

Store cured churchkhela hung or wrapped in a cool, dry place for up to several months — it's traditionally a long-keeping food, and its texture and flavor continue to develop slowly over time.

Frequently Asked Questions