Chak-Chak (чак-чак)

From time to time, I've seen this odd-looking desert in grocery stores during my stay in Moscow. It seemed to consist of short, puffy, tan-color noodles, stuck together in the form of a large block. Even more grabbing, however, happened to be it's name: chak-chak. Other than making me laugh in my head when I first read it, it also made me wonder. It didn't sound Russian by name and I'd never heard it mentioned before. Yet Russia was still the only place I'd ever seen it. After my initial notice, I began to see it around more and more. This finally accumulated one evening when I was splitting a bottle of cognac with a few friends when, unexpectedly, one friend took out a square box with the words чак-чак(chak-chak) written on it and recommended that we all have some. Curious, I broke a piece off and ate it...

DESCRIPTION AND INFO

It's hard to find an easy way to describe what it tastes like, but imagine something like puffed rice, only significantly more dense and glazed in honey, making it all stick together. It had an odd mix of being both crunchy and chewy at the same time, all the while being a bit sticky from the honey glaze. When eating it, you break or pull small pieces at a time since the blocks are usually the size of a brick. And, to make a long story short, did I like it? Yes. But it was very, very sweet, thus hindering me from eating a lot at a time.

Now, remember how I said I saw it from time to time in Moscow? Well, it turns out that it's the national Tatar desert, so now that I am in Kazan, I see it everywhere. And I literally mean everywhere. It's in every super market, every convenient store, every street stand, in the metros (seriously), and even within the Kazan Kremlin. Naturally, it was the first thing I bought upon arrival. And, currently I plan to stock up on it, so if you see me sometime this summer, you may get the chance to try for yourself.

Churchkhela (ჩურჩხელა)

MY EXPERIENCE

It was nearly two years ago when I first laid eyes upon churchkhela (still though, I struggle to pronounce it). I had just arrived in Tbilisi and it was my first day roaming around and exploring the city. Not yet ten minutes into the walk, I past a street side food stand selling these long and colorful, stick-shaped things. Some were red, others purple, a few were black, and some were tan, and they all hung on individual strings. I had never seen such a thing before and was perplexed as to what it could be. I thought about stopping, but because I was a cautious fool at the time, I kept walking. Fortunately though, only a few minutes later there was another stand. This time I couldn't resist. I stopped and purchased a dark purple one for 2 Lari ($0.80).

Hmmmm... It appeared interesting as I held it up. It was distinctly solin but bendable. It smelled a bit like grapes and it looked like it contained walnuts inside. I held it by the top of the string from which it was attached and took a bite. Instantly, my tastebuds were hit with the flavor flavor. It was a little sweet, although not overly sweet, and fairly savory. It wasn't too strong and overpowering, but somehow the combination of the solidified grape juice coating (as I later found it out to be) and the walnuts inside perfectly complimented each other and formed a delicious combination. which I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed it so much so, that I went on to have one nearly every other day during my stay in Georgia, and savored every bite.

DESCRIPTION AND INFO

Churchkhela are composed by sticking nuts (usually walnuts) to a string and then dipping them into a mixture of fruit juice (usually grape) and flour to thicken. They are then hung up to dry and solidify. Once that is done, they are ready to be eaten. As for texture, they are supposed to be chewy, as dried fruit usually is, and they have a subtly sweet taste with a pleasant and lasting aftertaste.

If you're in Georgia, you can find them all over the place on nearly every street corner. Each color has a slightly different taste, so I recommend being adventurous and having a different one each time. And while I have found these in a few neighboring countries like Russia and Armenia, for some reason the Georgian ones taste the best. Also though, remember to buy the ones on the street since the store ones usually have been on the shelved for several days and as a result are noticeably more stale.

SIDE NOTE

One thing that surprised me though was how long they leave you feeling full. They're not very big and don't seem like there is a ton of substance to them, but after eating one, I wouldn't feel hungry for many hours after. I even took one with me during a day's long hike in the mountains and that in and of itself was enough to keep me sustained throughout the whole physical ordeal.