Puchkholia

Megrelian·Easy·15 min

Unaged crumbly cheese mixed with mint and red pepper, served on or beside ghomi. The very name is Megrelian, meaning crumbled or ground up, and the dish is a classic ghomi accompaniment.

Puchkholia is a Megrelian dish whose very name is in the Megrelian language, meaning crumbled or ground up. It is made of unaged crumbly cheese (chkinti) mixed with fresh mint and red pepper, and served alongside or on top of ghomi (cornmeal porridge). It is a classic ghomi accompaniment specific to Samegrelo, featured in Georgian-language recipe videos as a regional specialty. The combination of crumbly cheese, mint and pepper over ghomi is a Megrelian hallmark.

Crumbly, salty, milky cheese lifted by the bright hit of fresh mint and a slow burn of red pepper, melting slightly into the hot ghomi it sits on. The mint is what makes it Megrelian, fresh and unmistakable.

The cheese must be unaged and crumbly (chkinti or a young sulguni), so it breaks into small bits rather than melting. It is crumbled by hand, then mixed with chopped fresh mint and red pepper flakes (or Megrelian ajika), and the mixture is either spooned over hot ghomi or served alongside. The hot ghomi softens the cheese just enough to bring the flavours together without losing the crumbly texture.

Variations

A spicier version uses Megrelian ajika. Some cooks add a spoonful of nadugi for creaminess.

On the Palate

Where Puchkholia sits in the Georgian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

400gCheese

1 bunchMint

1 tspRed Pepper Flakes

1 tspAjika

to serveCornmeal

1 pinchSalt

How it's made

6 steps · 15 min

1
5 min
Take 400g unaged crumbly cheese (chkinti or young sulguni) and crumble it finely by hand.
Watch out
Use an unaged crumbly cheese and break it by hand into small bits — an aged cheese melts into strings instead of staying in soft crumbs.
2
4 min
Strip the leaves from 1 large bunch of fresh mint and chop them.
3
4 min
Mix the crumbled cheese with the mint, 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (or 1 tsp Megrelian ajika) and a pinch of salt.
4
5 min
Prepare a batch of ghomi (cornmeal porridge) and keep it hot.
5
2 min
Spoon the hot ghomi into bowls and pile the puchkholia on top of each portion.
Watch out
Pile it on the hot ghomi and serve at once — the heat should soften the cheese just barely, so don't let it sit and fully melt down.
6
2 min
Serve at once, so the cheese softens slightly against the hot ghomi.