Welcoming our Georgian Spice Mix to our repertoire. Georgian Spice Mix is also known as Khmeli Suneli. Name it what you like, it’s simply… spectacular. And by Georgia, we mean the country, not the U.S. state where R.E.M. comes from.
History lesson time ! Yay! So, for those who aren’t aware (I was not aware of this country until I started researching about it). Georgia is a country of Transcaucasia and is located in the Southwestern Asia region. Georgia borders the Black Sea and sits between Turkey and Russia. The population of Georgia is roughly 4.65 million and is made up primarily of Georgians and a small percentage of Azeris, Armenians and Russians.
The roots of the Georgian people go deep into history. There were both Turkish and Persian domination many, many moons ago. Georgia was also a part of the Soviet Union at one time and Georgia declared sovereignty November 19th, 1989, and then independence on 9th April 1991. Ok History lesson over, onto our Georgian Spice Mix.
The backstory of this spice mix. I was reading one of my many spice books and kept noticing this Georgian Spice Mix that kept popping up. I was intrigued so off I toddled into the spice cupboard and played around with a few different recipes and versions.
The past few weeks I have been cooking the different versions and trying to see what I liked the best, and which one stood out for me. Well, blow me down with a feather! What I came up with was just astounding!
Our Georgian Spice Mix brings out some very deep flavours and the best way for me to describe the taste, the flavour is very earthy yet floral yet savoury. Due to these flavours, it had a range of versatility. It’s a spice mix that literally tastes good on anything. It is bewitchingly fragrant!
It’s safe to say that Georgian Spice Mix is the “curry powder” of the Caucasus. It’s their version of an everyday all-purpose seasoning and traditionally it consists of blue fenugreek – the seeds and the leaves, dried marigold petals, coriander seed, marjoram, hot pepper, hyssop, dill and basil. Do ya think I could find blue fenugreek, marigold petals, and hyssop anywhere? If you said no, then you’re right. These three key ingredients are extremely difficult to locate in Australia. I would say that these 3 ingredients are commonly found in Georgia, but I cannot find any Australian herb and spice farmers who grow these.
But never fear! Irene is here! I worked my tail off to try and get it tasting as authentic as I possibly could. I can’t say I made a replica of the original Georgian Spice Mix as I had nothing really to compare it to, but I ended up with a beautiful spice mix and one that works so well on poultry, grilled meats and especially lamb. It adds a really deep flavour to stews, casseroles, and vegetables as well. Research tells me that it is beautiful in seafood dishes, soups, sauces and used in marinades.
Our version of Georgian Spice Mix comprises of fenugreek, bay leaf, chilli powder, parsley, marjoram, tarragon, coriander, dill and a dash of salt and pepper.
Being that it is so versatile II would say to not be afraid to use it! It’s a gorgeous spice mix and extremely versatile.
I hope it’s well-loved in your home as much as it is in mine!
გაამოთ! /gaamot!/Bon Appetit
