![Khinkali georgian](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Khinkali_georgian.jpg)
Khinkali ( ka, ხინკალი ''khink’ali'' , sometimes
Romanized ''hinkali'' or ''xinkali'') is a very popular
dumpling
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...
in
Georgian cuisine
Georgian cuisine () consists of cooking traditions, techniques, and practices of Georgia. Georgian cuisine has a distinct character, while bearing some similarities with various national cuisines of the Caucasus and the wider Eastern Europe. E ...
. It is made of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat and spices.
Ingredients
The fillings of khinkali vary with the area. The original recipe, the so-called ''khevsuruli'', consisted of only minced meat (lamb or beef and pork mixed), onions,
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
,
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
cumin. However, the modern recipe used mostly especially in Georgian urban areas, the so-called ''kalakuri'', uses herbs like
parsley and
(also called coriander). Mushrooms, potatoes, or cheese may be used in place of meat.
Etiquette
Khinkali is eaten plain or with ground
black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...
. The meat filling is uncooked when khinkali is assembled, so when it is cooked, the juices of the meat are trapped inside the dumpling. To make khinkali juicier, usually warm water or
broth
Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...
is added to the minced meat. Khinkali is typically consumed first by sucking the juices while taking the first bite, similar to
xiaolongbao
''Xiaolongbao'' () refers to a type of small Chinese steamed bun (''baozi'') traditionally prepared in a ''xiaolong'', a small bamboo steaming basket, hence the name. '' Xiaolongbao'' are often referred to as a kind of "dumpling", but should not ...
, in order to prevent the dumpling from bursting. The top, where the pleats meet, is tough, and is not supposed to be eaten, but discarded to the plate so that those eating can count how many they have consumed. In Georgia, this top is called the ''kudi'' (
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 ...
: კუდი, "tail") or ''k'uch'i'' (
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 ...
: კუჭი, "stomach").
There is a widespread etiquette in Georgia to use only one's bare hands while consuming these dumplings. The using of utensils, like a fork, is considered incorrect or childish. This is because juice is an important part of khinkali; using a fork will rupture the khinkali and the juice will be spilled.
Regions
The towns of
Dusheti
Dusheti () is a town in Georgia (country), Georgia, the administrative center of Dusheti Municipality, in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti mkhare, region, 54 km northeast of the nation's capital of Tbilisi.
History
Dusheti is on both banks of the small ...
,
Pasanauri
Pasanauri ( ka, ფასანაური, also spelled ''Passanauri'') is a small town ('' daba'') in Georgia, situated in the Dusheti district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.
Pasanauri lies about north of the nation’s capital of Tbilisi, at e ...
and
Mtskheta are particularly famous for their khinkali.
See also
*
Hingel
A hingel is a type of dumpling found in North Caucasus that is similar to manti. The meat version of the dish is often associated with the Turkish province of Çorum but there is a potato stuffed variety said to hail from Erzurum in eastern A ...
*
Manti
*
Xiaolongbao
''Xiaolongbao'' () refers to a type of small Chinese steamed bun (''baozi'') traditionally prepared in a ''xiaolong'', a small bamboo steaming basket, hence the name. '' Xiaolongbao'' are often referred to as a kind of "dumpling", but should not ...
References
External links
Khinkali recipe (in Russian, with photos)Khinkali recipe (in Russian)Khinkali recipe (in English)
{{Dumplings
Dumplings
Cuisine of Georgia (country)
Georgian products with protected designation of origin
Soviet cuisine
National dishes