Adjika
Encyclopedia
Adjika is a hot, spicy but subtly flavoured paste often used to flavour food mainly in the Caucasian
regions of Abkhazia
and Samegrelo
. Adjika is usually red, though green adjika can be made with unripe peppers. The name itself comes from the Abkhaz
word аџьыка "salt" (the more descriptive аџьыкаҟaҧшь (literally, "red salt") and аџьыкаҵәаҵәа are also used to refer specifically to adjika).
The Abkhazia
n variant of adjika is based on a boiled preparation of hot red pepper
s, garlic
, herbs and spice
s such as coriander
, dill
, blue fenugreek (only found in mountain regions such as the Alps
or the Caucasus), salt
and walnut
. A dry form of adjika exists that is sometimes called svanuri marili in Georgian (სვანური მარილი "Svaneti
an salt"); this looks like small red clumps mixed with a looser version of the spice mixture. Home-made adjika is available from many market stalls in the Caucasus and in the Krasnodar Krai
of Russia
. Tomato
es are not an ingredient of traditional adjika, though different versions of adjika, sometimes having tomatoes as a main ingredient, are produced on a commercial scale and sold in supermarkets in Ukraine
and Russia
.
In appearance and consistency adjika resembles Italian red pesto
. The spiciness varies from recipe to recipe; those acquainted with British-Asian curry styles would probably rate a typical adjika as "vindaloo
strength".
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
regions of Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and Samegrelo
Samegrelo
Samegrelo/Samargalo or Megrelia, Mingrelia is a historic province in the western part of Georgia, formerly also known as Odishi.It is inhabited by the Megrelians, an ethnic subgroup of the Georgians.-Geography and Climate:...
. Adjika is usually red, though green adjika can be made with unripe peppers. The name itself comes from the Abkhaz
Abkhaz language
Abkhaz is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken mainly by the Abkhaz people. It is the official language of Abkhazia where around 100,000 people speak it. Furthermore, it is spoken by thousands of members of the Abkhazian diaspora in Turkey, Georgia's autonomous republic of Adjara, Syria, Jordan...
word аџьыка "salt" (the more descriptive аџьыкаҟaҧшь (literally, "red salt") and аџьыкаҵәаҵәа are also used to refer specifically to adjika).
The Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
n variant of adjika is based on a boiled preparation of hot red pepper
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
s, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, herbs and spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
s such as coriander
Coriander
Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...
, dill
Dill
Dill is a perennial herb. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum, though classified by some botanists in a related genus as Peucedanum graveolens C.B.Clarke.-Growth:...
, blue fenugreek (only found in mountain regions such as the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
or the Caucasus), salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
. A dry form of adjika exists that is sometimes called svanuri marili in Georgian (სვანური მარილი "Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of the country. It is inhabited by the Svans, a geographic subgroup of the Georgians.- Geography :...
an salt"); this looks like small red clumps mixed with a looser version of the spice mixture. Home-made adjika is available from many market stalls in the Caucasus and in the Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es are not an ingredient of traditional adjika, though different versions of adjika, sometimes having tomatoes as a main ingredient, are produced on a commercial scale and sold in supermarkets in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
In appearance and consistency adjika resembles Italian red pesto
Pesto
Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy , and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano and Fiore Sardo...
. The spiciness varies from recipe to recipe; those acquainted with British-Asian curry styles would probably rate a typical adjika as "vindaloo
Vindaloo
Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...
strength".