A signature dry seasoning blend of Samegrelo: salt pounded with dried chili, garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek and dried herbs. A pantry staple of Megrelian households, used to season meats, fish and ghomi.
Megrelian salt (samtsre samegrelos) is a signature dry seasoning blend named for the Samegrelo region. Salt is pounded in a mortar with dried hot red pepper, garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), dried marigold and dried herbs. It is a pantry staple of Megrelian households, used to season meats, fish, ghomi and vegetables, and it reflects the defining spice-and-herb intensity of Megrelian cooking alongside ajika.
A fiercely savoury, salty, garlicky and chili-hot blend with a fragrant coriander and fenugreek undertone. A pinch lifts any plain dish; it is the instant Megrelian fingerprint on meat, fish or cornmeal.
Coarse salt is the carrier and abrasive; pounding it with the dried aromatics in a mortar both grinds them and infuses the salt with their oils. The dried chili gives heat, garlic gives pungency, coriander and blue fenugreek give the characteristic Georgian spice note, and dried marigold gives colour. The blend is pounded to a uniform gritty powder, not a fine dust, so the salt keeps its crunch.
Variations
A hotter version adds more dried chili. Some households include dried summer savory.
On the Palate
Where Megrelian Salt sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 14 min
In a large mortar, combine 200g coarse sea salt with 3 tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes.
- 24 min
Add 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped.
- 34 min
Add 2 tbsp dried coriander, 1 tbsp blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), 1 tbsp dried marigold petals and 1 tbsp dried summer savory.
- 46 min
Pound everything together until the garlic is crushed and the salt takes on a uniform orange-pink colour and gritty texture.
Watch outPound to a uniform gritty powder, not a fine dust — grind it too far and the salt loses the crunch that defines it.
- 54 min
Spread on a tray and air-dry 2 hours if the garlic made it moist.
- 62 min
Store in a sealed jar; use a pinch to season grilled meats, fish, or ghomi.
