Khmeli-Suneli
Seasoning Khmeli-Suneli
Khmeli-Suneli seasoning is a mixture of various spices and herbs that are used in the preparation of various dishes in Georgia. Khmeli-Suneli seasoning gained wide popularity due to the high popularity of Georgian cuisine, which enjoys well-deserved popularity in many countries of the world. At the same time, few people know the composition of Khmeli-Suneli - all this mixture of spices is simply associated with Georgia and popular dishes of Georgian cuisine. In fact, the composition of the Khmeli-Suneli seasoning is not constant and may vary depending on the region of Georgia in which this seasoning is prepared, on the availability of certain spices in a certain period of time, on the preferences of the culinary specialist who prepares the Khmeli-Suneli mixture, or on the standards of the manufacturer producing this seasoning on an industrial scale. Therefore, it is not necessary to say that there is an exact recipe for making Khmeli-Suneli seasoning, but this is not important - differing in its composition, this seasoning still remains the hallmark of Georgia, along with adjika and other seasonings characteristic of Georgian cuisine.
The use of Khmeli-Suneli Seasoning in Cooking
Khmeli-Suneli seasoning is widely used in Georgian cuisine when preparing various national dishes, and the range of these dishes is practically unlimited - Khmeli-Suneli are added to soups, vegetable dishes, meat is stewed and baked with this seasoning. With the growing popularity of Georgian cuisine in other countries, the Khmeli-Suneli seasoning has become in demand outside of Georgia, its use allows you to cook dishes at home, which may not be authentic Georgian dishes, but have a unique taste and aroma inherent in the recipes of Georgian dishes.
The composition of Khmeli-Suneli
When it is said that the exact composition of Khmeli-Suneli does not exist in nature, it does not mean that it is classified and known only to the elite - just the name itself, translated from Georgian, simply means a mixture of spices, without any indication of its composition. But all the components of Khmeli-Suneli are known and quite accessible, and having studied many sources of information, it became possible to determine the basic composition of this Georgian seasoning, which looks something like this:
- Hot chili pepper
- Imeretian saffron
- Basil
- Marjoram
- Coriander or cilantro
- Blue fenugreek
- Dill
- Peppermint
- Savory
- Parsley
- Hyssop
- Celery
- Bay leaf
For the preparation of this seasoning, leaves are mainly used, and in some cases, the fruits of the above plants in dried and crushed form. In addition, industrially produced varieties of Khmeli-Suneli seasoning can contain very unexpected components - turmeric, mustard seeds and much more. Perhaps such variants of the composition of this seasoning have the right to exist, but they have nothing to do with the traditional Khmeli-Suneli.
How reliable is the information about the composition of Khmeli-Suneli?
It should be noted right away that the indications of the spices that make up Khmeli-Suneli that exist on the Internet are basically a reprint of information from the same source. For example, many sources of information indicate the so-called full and reduced composition of this seasoning, sometimes it is mentioned that the full composition of Khmeli-Suneli includes 12 spices, and the reduced composition contains only 6 spices. At the same time, a list of spices included in Khmeli-Suneli in an amount of 10 to 14 components can be immediately indicated.
Is it possible to cook Khmeli-Suneli seasoning at home?
Considering that all the ingredients of this seasoning are quite affordable and relatively cheap, it is quite possible to cook Khmeli-Suneli at home. But there are a number of specific features of the recipe for preparing this seasoning, which are worth paying attention to.
Separately, it is worth dwelling on the dosage of each spice that is part of Khmeli-Suneli. Almost everywhere it is mentioned that all the components of this seasoning are taken in dry crushed form in equal proportions by weight, except for two of them - Imereti saffron and hot pepper. At the same time, hot pepper should be added from 1 to 2 percent of the total mass of the entire seasoning, and Imereti saffron - only 0.1% (!). At the same time, no one thinks how in domestic conditions, even with modern electronic scales, it is possible to measure 0.1% of the total mass of seasoning - this is possible only if at least tens, or even hundreds of kilograms of this seasoning are made at a time. seasonings. And what was the situation in those days when the scales had a much lower accuracy? Then Khmeli-Suneli was cooked in tons?
Most likely, everything was much simpler, Khmeli-Suneli was prepared like this - they took one measure, and not even by weight, of each spice that is part of this seasoning, and then added one or two pinches of hot pepper and Imereti saffron. Perhaps this looks much more realistic than weighing each spice separately in order to achieve equal weight proportions, including measuring the weight of 1/1000 of the entire mass of Khmeli-Suneli, falling on Imeretian saffron.
So, deciding to cook Khmeli-Suneli on your own, you should be guided by common sense, and not by the "most correct" instructions from "verified" sources. Therefore, you can simply take all the necessary components, mix approximately in the same proportions and add quite a bit of hot pepper, and even less - Imereti saffron. And that's all - Khmeli-Suneli's homemade seasoning will be ready, and with its addition it will be possible to cook many favorite dishes of Georgian cuisine, giving them a more authentic taste.