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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Georgia, Autonomous Republic of Adjara

Acharuli chlechili (Adjarian chlechili)აჭარული ჩლეჩილი

Acharuli chlechili is a lean string cheese from Adjara, made in summer from skimmed cow milk. Skim milk is left to sour, mixed with fresh skim milk, set with a little enzyme at 38–40 °C and heated to 65–70 °C until the curd knits. The curd is stretched, twisted into rope-like plaits, pressed, salted and kept cool for 1–2 months. Made in 8 steps over 30 days – 2 months. The longest step, keep cool, takes 30 days – 2 months (Georgian GI specification 'აჭარული ჩლეჩილი /…). Salt is 4–6 % (Georgian GI specification 'აჭარული ჩლეჩილი /…). Souring flora of the self-soured skim milk does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step30 days – 2 monthsSet[uk-spec]Keep cool
Temperature38–40 °CSet[uk-spec]Warm and add the ferment
Salt4–6 %Set[uk-spec]Press and salt in wooden boxes
Fully documentedCheese30 days – 2 monthsGI (Georgia reg. no. 7, 24 January 2012); PGI in the UK under the UK–Georgia agreementFamily: Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese familyMore stretched-curd cheesesMore from Georgia

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification gives the milk ratio (1:1) but no batch size. A cheese weighs 0.8–1.5 kg.
Skimmed cow milk, left to sour on its own · Made in summer[uk-spec]
Freshly skimmed cow milk (the same quantity) · Mixed into the soured milk[uk-spec]
Ferment (enzyme coagulant) (a small quantity)[uk-spec]
Salt · Added after the plaits cool; the cheese holds 4–6 % salt[uk-spec]
Starter: none added; the skim milk sours on its own

Total time across the recorded steps: 30 days – 2 months

Start
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Milk sugarLactic acid

What changes: Skimmed milk is left to sour and thicken on its own

Step 1 of 8
Let the skim milk sour
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Output: soured skim milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

It is made from skimmed milk that has soured on its own, and the curd is knitted by heating to 65–70 °C with only a little enzyme. That makes it far leaner than sulguni (fat in dry matter only 4–5 %).

Size
0.8–1.5 kg; plaits 2–3.5 cm thick, about 30 cm long and 15 cm wide, or a flat lavashi-like sheet
Composition
Moisture at most 60 %, fat in dry matter at least 4–5 %, salt 4–6 %

Related ferments

Variants

  • SmokedThe same cheese, smoked.

Safety

The curd is heated to 65–70 °C and the finished cheese holds 4–6 % salt.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The name was registered as a Georgian geographical indication in 2012 and is protected in the UK under the UK–Georgia partnership agreement.

  1. [uk-spec] Georgian GI specification 'აჭარული ჩლეჩილი / Acharuli Chlechili' (registration no. 7, 24 January 2012; applicant Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia), English text published by Defraspec
  2. [govuk-register] GOV.UK protected food and drink names register, 'აჭარული ჩლეჩილი / Acharuli Chlechili' (PGI, Georgia, registered 31 December 2020 under the UK–Georgia agreement)gov