# Churchkhela: the walnut “candle” that fed an army

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/churchkhela-the-walnut-candle-that-fed-an-army/
- Author: Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze (GTour desk, Tbilisi)
- Published: 2026-09-15
- Updated: 2026-10-17
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/churchkhela-the-walnut-candle-that-fed-an-army/

Every visitor asks. They hang in bunches at the roadside from Tbilisi to Telavi, from stalls at Ananuri and Sighnaghi, from the rafters of every Kakhetian marani: strings the length of a forearm, lumpy, the colour of dried plums or of old gold. The Georgian name is churchkhela, and the honest description — walnuts threaded on a string and dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice until coated — does not begin to cover what they mean.

### How it is made

It starts with the harvest. Fresh grape must — the juice before it ferments — is boiled with flour until it thickens into a warm purple custard, tatara in Kakheti, pelamushi when eaten as a pudding. Walnut halves (or hazelnuts, or in Imereti sometimes almonds) are threaded on a cotton string with a needle, about twenty to a strand. The strand is dipped into the tatara, hung to set, dipped again, hung again — four or five times over a day — until the coating is thick and even. Then the strings hang in the sun for a week, and in a dry room for a month or more. A finished churchkhela is firm, chewy, slightly tart from the grape, rich from the nuts, and keeps for a year.

No sugar is added. The sweetness is the grape’s own; in a good year and from Saperavi grapes the coating is deep purple, from Rkatsiteli it is amber. Mass-produced versions at the airport add sugar and colouring; the ones in a village kitchen do not, and you can taste the difference in a second bite.

### Why the army

The legend — and Georgians will tell it as fact — is that churchkhela was the ration of the Georgian soldier. It is light, dense in calories, needs no cooking and does not spoil; a man could carry a week’s energy on a string over his shoulder. Whether or not King David’s cavalry actually rode to Didgori on walnuts and grape juice, the logic is sound, and hikers in Svaneti still pack it.

### How to eat it

Not as a sweet after dinner — Georgians eat it as a snack, with tea, or on the road. Cut it into rounds with a knife, or bite. The cotton string in the middle is not eaten. Pair it with chacha if it is evening, with strong tea if it is morning. Buy it from a person, not a shelf: at the harvest, from the family that made it that week.

### See it with GTour

On every Kakheti tour there is a stop at a village market or a marani where churchkhela hangs; on the [Rtveli harvest tour](/tour/rtveli-wine-harvest-in-kakheti-3-days-september-october/) and the [Grand Wine & Heritage tour](/tour/kakheti-grand-wine/) you make your own. The [Kakheti wine day](/tour/kakheti-wine-country-day-trip/) ends with a bag of them for the road.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: [shenidasveneba.ge](https://shenidasveneba.ge/churchkhela-the-walnut-candle-that-fed-an-army-ka/)

### Quick answers

**What is churchkhela?** Churchkhela is a traditional Georgian snack made of walnut halves (or sometimes hazelnuts or almonds) threaded on a cotton string and dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice called tatara until coated. It is firm, chewy, slightly tart and rich, and can keep for a year.

**How is churchkhela made?** Fresh grape must is boiled with flour until it becomes a thick purple custard called tatara (or pelamushi when eaten as a pudding). About twenty walnut halves are threaded on a cotton string, dipped into the tatara four or five times over a day, then hung to dry in the sun for a week and in a dry room for a month or more.

**Does churchkhela contain added sugar?** No, traditional churchkhela gets its sweetness entirely from the grapes used to make the tatara coating. Versions made from Saperavi grapes turn out deep purple, while those made from Rkatsiteli are amber-colored. Mass-produced versions sold at places like the airport often add sugar and coloring, which changes the taste.

**Why is churchkhela associated with the army?** According to Georgian legend, churchkhela was the traditional ration of Georgian soldiers because it is light, calorie-dense, requires no cooking, and does not spoil. The story claims King David's cavalry carried it into battle at Didgori, and hikers in Svaneti still pack it today for the same practical reasons.

**How should churchkhela be eaten?** Georgians eat churchkhela as a snack rather than a dessert, often with tea or while traveling on the road. It should be cut into rounds with a knife or simply bitten, while the cotton string inside is not eaten, and it pairs well with chacha in the evening or strong tea in the morning.

**Where can you see or buy authentic churchkhela in Georgia?** Churchkhela hangs at roadside stalls and village markets from Tbilisi to Telavi, including spots like Ananuri and Sighnaghi, as well as in Kakhetian winery buildings called marani. The article recommends buying it directly from a family that made it that week rather than from a shelf, for the best, unadulterated flavor.

**Can visitors make their own churchkhela on a tour?** Yes, GTour's Kakheti tours include stops at village markets or marani where churchkhela is displayed, and on the Rtveli harvest tour and the Grand Wine and Heritage tour visitors can make their own churchkhela. The Kakheti wine day tour also ends with a bag of churchkhela given to travelers for the road.

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