Churchkhela (; ) is a traditional Georgian candle-shaped brittle confection. The main ingredients of are grape must, nuts, and flour. The traditional technology of in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.
Georgians usually make in autumn when the primary ingredients, grapes and nuts, are harvested. It is a string of walnut halves that have been dipped in grape juice called or (grape juice thickened with flour), and dried in the sun. No sugar is added to make real . Instead of walnuts, sometimes hazelnuts or almonds are used in the regions of west Georgia.
The juice is placed in a large bronze cauldron and heated slowly. A small amount of a special white earth called is added to the boiling must and causes impurities to rise to the surface, where they are collected and removed. It is possible to substitute ', when not available, with lager beer, which has a similar result. Once the cleansing process is complete, the liquid is left to cool. Next, flour is added while stirring and heating the mixture. When it reaches the right consistency, based on the rate of steam bubbles and the viscosity of the mixture, it is removed from the heat. The mix, called , is now ready for use in the next step in the process of making , which consists of preparing the nuts for dipping.
Before they are threaded, the nuts have to be shelled and dipped into water in order to soften them. Once soft enough, they are strung onto -long threads. The strings are dipped in the ' mixture until completely covered. This process is repeated several times (usually three times) until the has the desired thickness. strings are then left to dry for five to six days. They are then ready for consumption or storage, though some like to eat it fresh.
Most commonly, walnuts or hazelnuts are threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened grape must, mulberry juice, or fruit juices and hung upside-down to dry in the shape of a candle. In eastern Georgia, production begins with a condensed juice called , made from must from local grapes in the areas of Kakheti, Kartli, or Meskheti thickened with wheat flour. Wheat flour is also used for making condensed mulberry juice in the area of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Corn flour is used in western Georgia (the areas of Racha, Lechkhumi, Guria, Samegrelo, Abkhazia, and Achara), and this condensed grape juice is called . In Abkhazia, a region in the North Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, it is known as ( or ) in the local Abkhaz language and is touted as the best souvenir for gifting.
Churchkhela is gaining popularity in other parts of the world, notably Canada and the USA. Georgian food has been seeing an upward trend over the last few years due to large numbers of Russians immigrating to Canada and the United States with several companies starting up and taking off, like Chella, who make in Vancouver, British Columbia, and La Fabrique St-George, who make Georgian wine in traditional qvevris.