- CHEESE POETRY IN GEORGIA -

20 октября 2013



Our travel notes begin with Georgian village Gadolari, located in the region Samtskhe-Javakheti where mainly Armenians live. This land is indeed soaped by innocence, traditions and breath of pristine nature. And we, enchanted searchers of  original environment, asked local people to show the process of production of some natural village products. Local people agreed with great pleasure. They did not only show, but they also told us in details the secrets of preparing two components of any Transcaucasian meal – cheese and bread. 

 

Well, let’s start our report with cheese.

In general, two types of cheese are produced here: hard cheese, oval shaped that is called by local people “kalla panir”, and outstretched – “tjivil panir”.

Hard cheese is produced by the following way. Freshly dawn milk (for 1 kilo of cheese it is needed approximately 10 liters of milk) should be slightly heated, then pepsin should be added for thickening. Then the mixture should be passed through the sieve and placed into special rounded dish for getting a shape. 


 
 


Production of “tjivil panir” has higher level of mystery. The point is that there is no particular recipe of it, almost whole process is going on by intuition. General tactics are as follows. Milk mixture should be oxidized for some time, then it should be put on fire. Constantly mixing this thick mass, the mistress is waiting when cheese gets its shape. The quality of milk is very important for taking a form: as a rule, milk received in summer is much better that the autumn one.
It should be noted that all cheese is kept in salty water.


 
 
 

There is also another type of cheese: local people call it “vaznat”. Conservation method of this cheese is special: cheese mixture is placed into special huge jars where it should be kept for several months, and only after that this cheese can be served. Tarragon or other greens may also be added into this cheese.

By the way, one notable fact: in this region cheese is normally used as a payment instrument. Let’s say, for example, when melon sellers arrive here, local people pay by cheese in order to buy melon.
What a cheese poetry!