So you want to reproduce chakhokhbili, lobio, satsivi in your kitchen … But where can you go without the famous Georgian spices? And if hop sunsets can still be bought in markets and even supermarkets, then what about others? Are they interchangeable? How can you compensate for their absence? Here we will talk about the frequent seasoning of meat, fish and vegetable dishes in the season of joy-suneli. What it is, what is its composition and what a quality product should look like if you come across it on the market - read this article.
It is necessary
- Etymology of the name
- The first step should be to figure out the meaning of the second term in this phrase. "Suneli" in translation from Georgian is a pleasantly smelling dried spice. That is, all the aromatic herbs that season food claim this name.
- It's just dried and ground coriander. The first term - "utskho" - literally means "alien". How so? Is this primordially Georgian spice utskho-suneli translated as "someone else's spice"? There is an explanation for this phenomenon. The fact is that the fresh seeds of the utskho plant smell very inexpressive. Only after light frying and drying will the aroma be fully revealed. The plant, as it were, acquires a foreign smell.
Instructions
Step 1
Seasoning Utskho-Suneli: composition
If we say that a nondescript fenugreek plant is hiding under this exotic term, then we will not bring clarity to the heads of novice culinary specialists. The fact is that these legumes are of several types, some of them grow outside of subtropical Georgia - in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus.
This spice has a special composition - dried and detailed pods with blue fenugreek seeds. The Latin name for the herb is Trigonella caerulea. It should be said that another type of fenugreek is used in Caucasian cuisine - hay. In Georgia, the spice is called shambhala, and in Europe, where it is often used for confectionery, fenugreek or Greek fenugreek.
Step 2
Where is used.
The use of this spice is determined by its delicate nutty flavor. That is, it well emphasizes the aroma of fish, young lamb. It also gives the chicken a special piquancy. It is known that nuts are widely used in Georgian cuisine, and tsho goes well with them. If the spice is crushed, then this powder is wrapped in basturma. Seasoning is also necessary for the preparation of Abkhazian adjika, lobio. In the first courses (meat and fish broths). Fenugreek seeds in Georgian cuisine are used for dough (especially for bread).
Can fenugreek be replaced with suneli hops?
In the strict sense of the word - no. Hops-suneli is a complex, balanced spice blend. It consists of thirteen spices. Among this list is blue fenugreek. But the composition of hops is thought out in such a way that no grass dominates in it, all aromas sound like a harmonious orchestra. Only in some dishes can ujho-suneli be substituted. This spice can be found in specialized stores or in the markets of "people of Caucasian nationality" In Moscow, it is recommended to look for it on the Dorogomilovsky market. Russian herbal grandmothers collect fenugreek during its flowering, but sell dried stems and leaves. And for spices, you need the pods and grains of this bean plant. Blue fenugreek is also used in Western Europe. Its leaves are colored with "green" cheeses.
Step 3
How to choose the "right" spice utsho:
High-grade utskho-suneli is prepared only from fenugreek pods. Inside the seed box, grains ripen, similar to small peas, but very hard. They are heat treated like coffee and then ground. The color of a good product is greenish, closer to dark.
