ჩურჩხელა

Instructions

1. 1 Thread the walnut halves onto pieces of strong thread about forty centimetres long using a large needle, leaving five centimetres of bare thread at the top for hanging. String fifteen to twenty walnut halves per thread, spacing them about one centimetre apart.
2. 2 Pour the grape juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for fifteen minutes to reduce slightly and concentrate the grape flavour. Skim any foam that rises to the surface during this reduction.
3. 3 Gradually sift the flour into the simmering grape juice while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue cooking and stirring for fifteen to twenty minutes until the mixture thickens into a glossy, pudding-like paste called tatara or pelamushi.
4. 4 The tatara is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and drips off in slow, heavy ribbons rather than running. It should be the consistency of thick custard, smooth and deeply coloured from the grape juice.
5. 5 Hold a string of walnuts by the bare thread end over the pot of tatara. Dip the entire string of walnuts into the hot grape paste, lifting it out slowly to let the excess drip off. Hang to dry for fifteen minutes, then dip again to build up a thick coating.
6. 6 Repeat the dipping process three to four times for each string, allowing fifteen minutes of drying between each coat. The final coating should be about five millimetres thick all around, encasing each walnut in a thick layer of the grape and flour mixture.
7. 7 Hang the finished churchkhela strings in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area for five to seven days until the exterior feels firm and dry but the interior remains slightly chewy. Store in a cool place wrapped in cloth. They keep for several months.