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 ...

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

cilantro Coriander (;

(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'' (

: 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.

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

Ingredients

Etiquette

Regions

See also

References

External links