The ancient tradition of making churckhela and restaurant tricks

Preparation process: 1. Preparation of walnuts (pouring) Cut the walnut pieces in half. Thread a walnut with a large needle and cotton thread (usually 20-25 cm long). Make a knot at the end of the thread, and a lock at the head for hanging. 2. Boiling the mash Pour the mash into a large pot and bring to a boil over low heat. Skim the foam that forms on the surface during boiling. The mash should be halved or reduced by a third (called "sweetening"). 3. Preparation of tartar Slowly add flour to the cooled mash and stir well so that there are no lumps (in restaurants, a blender or a sieve is often used for this). Put the mixture on the fire and constantly stir it with a wooden spoon. Tatara is ready when the smell of flour disappears, the mass thickens, becomes shiny and flows lazily from the spoon. 4. Elimination Take the walnut stock with a slotted spoon and carefully drop it into the hot tartare. Use a spoon to help cover the walnuts completely. Take it out and let it rest for a few seconds on top of the pot to drain off the excess tartar. If you want the dough to be thicker, let it dry for 15-20 minutes and roll it out a second time. 5. Drying Hang the churches in a dry, ventilated place (avoid direct sunlight). It takes 3 to 10 days to dry until the surface becomes dry and elastic. Restaurant secrets: * Color: white grape mash is used for light-colored churcli, and saferi mash is used for dark, "chocolate-colored" churcli. * Storage: In restaurants, churchelis are often wrapped in a cloth to "sweat" and release white powdered sugar (natural glucose) on the surface — this is a sign of higher quality. * Serving: Before serving, churkkhela is cut diagonally (about 2-3 cm long pieces), which looks very nice on the plate.