Ajika or adjika (, ) is a
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
-
Abkhazian hot, spicy, but subtly flavored
dip, often used to flavor food. In 2018, the technology of ajika was inscribed on the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list.
The name derives from the
Abkhaz word ''аџьыка'' "salt". The Abkhazian variant of ajika is based on a boiled preparation of hot
red peppers,
garlic,
herbs, and
spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spice ...
s such as
coriander,
dill
Dill (''Anethum graveolens'') is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Anethum''. Dill is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food.
Growth ...
,
blue fenugreek
''Trigonella caerulea'' (blue fenugreek, blue melilot, ka, ულუმბო, უცხო სუნელი - ''ulumbo'', ''utskho suneli'')) is an annual herb in the family Fabaceae. It is 30–60 cm tall. Its leaves are obovate or lan ...
(only found in mountain regions such as the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
or the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
),
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
, and
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
. A dry form of ajika exists that looks like small red clumps mixed with a looser version of the spice mixture.
Home-made ajika is available from many market stalls in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
and in the
Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of ...
of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
Tomato
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
es are not an ingredient of traditional ajika, though different versions of ajika, sometimes having tomatoes or tomato paste as an ingredient, are produced on a commercial scale and sold in supermarkets in Russia and
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.
Common varieties of ajika resemble Italian red
pesto
Pesto () is a sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (also known as Parmesan cheese) or Pecorino Sardo (cheese made from sheep's milk), a ...
in appearance and consistency. Though it is usually red, green ajika is also made with unripe peppers.
File:Megrelian ajika.jpg, Mingrelian Mingrelian may refer to:
*the Mingrelians
*the Mingrelian language
Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kol ...
ajika
File:Green ajika.jpg, Green ajika
See also
*
Erős Pista
Erős Pista (Strong Steve) is the most popular chili sauce in Hungary. ''Erős Pista'' is made from coarsely minced hot paprika and salt; containing nothing more perishable, it can be stored for a year in a refrigerator. It is also produced in ...
, a popular Hungarian pepper sauce.
*
Biber salçası
Biber may refer to:
* Biber (surname)
* Biber (geology), a timespan in the glacial history of the Alps
* ''Biber'' (submarine), a World War II German midget submarine
* Biber, a bridge-carrying version of the German Leopard 1 tank
* Biber (LaT ...
, a hot or sweet pepper paste in
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine () is the cuisine of Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. It is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Eastern Eur ...
*
Muhammara
''Muhammara'' ( ar, محمرة "reddened") or mhammara is a spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. It is associated with Aleppo, but can also be found in Turkey, especially in southeastern regions, wh ...
or ''acuka'', a hot pepper dip in
Levantine cuisine
Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant.
Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Levantine cuisine is ''meze'' including '' tabbouleh'', ''hummus'' and ''baba ghanoush''.
Levantine dishes
* Arabic coffee (قهوة عر ...
*
Harissa
Harissa ( ar, هريسة ''harīsa'', from Maghrebi Arabic) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the Maghreb. The main ingredients are roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers (), spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander ...
, a hot chili pepper paste in
Maghreb cuisine
Maghreb cuisine is the cooking of the Maghreb region, the northwesternmost part of Africa along the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of the countries of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Well-known dishes from the region include ''c ...
*
Zhug
Zhug ( he, סְחוּג, s'ḥug), sahawiq (Yemeni Arabic: ) or bisbas ( Somali: ) is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. In other countries of the Arabian Peninsula it is also called ma'booj ( ar, معبوج}).
Etymology
The word ' ...
, a hot sauce in
Middle Eastern cuisine, made from fresh hot peppers seasoned with coriander, garlic and various spices
*
List of dips
*
List of sauces
External links
* Oliver Bullough (2012)
''Adjika: Sauce of Glory, Pride of Abkhazia'' Roads & Kingdoms.
* Rada Azhiba (2018)
''Pepper and Stone: how to produce Abkhazian ajika'' Abkhaz World.
* Katya Kazbek (2019)
''Recipe: Adjika'' Supamodu.
References
{{Herbs & spices
Herb and spice mixtures
Cuisine of Georgia (country)
Condiments