Dambalkhacho

The Secret to the Uniqueness of Dambalkhacho

The Dambalkhacho produced in Tianeti and Pshavi is unlike anywhere else in the world. Dambalkhacho is golden on the inside and moldy on the outside. It is eaten either dry or heated in a pan with plenty of clarified butter and the locals call it “khachoerbo”.

It resembles world-famous fondue and if any locals offer you some, don’t refuse!

How to Prepare Dambalkhacho

There are two ways to prepare Dambalkhacho. According to one of them, freshly milked milk is poured into a wide bowl and left to get slightly sour, after which the cream is removed from it and butter is whipped from it. Curd is made from the rest of the thickened milk.

According to the second method, slightly sour milk is poured into a butter churn, butter is churned, and curd is made from the remaining buttermilk, which is then mixed with salt, formed into small balls, and, being placed in a special basket Dzobani, set to dry in a dark place. You can hang Dzobani over the smoke for a short time - for having the smoky notes in the ready product.

With this method, the curd balls will dry in 7-10 days. Afterward, it is washed in whey and left to dry a little more. Once the curd balls have dried, it is put in a clay bowl or Qvevri and left to age for 1.5 - 2 months.

Dambalkhacho tastes in an intense, and spicy way and pairs very well with Georgian Rkatsiteli wine.