Tabasco is especially popular in the national cuisine of the southern nations, and it is no coincidence: contained in hot pepper substances kill bacteria, thereby reducing the chance of food poisoning. In addition, adjika, like other seasonings based on hot pepper, perfectly it stimulates the appetite and adds new flavors to almost any dish.

History of

Many believe adjika Georgian cuisine, but in fact, this aromatic spice was invented in Abkhazia. On the Abkhaz language name sauce is translated as "salt." Adjika is frayed with salt spices - red chili peppers, garlic and herbs.

It is believed that the Abkhaz adjika was invented by shepherds. In the spring, when shepherds drove the flock to the mountains, the owners of cattle herders passed salt for the sheep. Salt causes thirsty animals, and this leads to the fact that sheep drink more, eat more quickly and gain weight. And the shepherds to not use an expensive product for their own purposes, salt mixed with pepper.

It turned out that a mixture of salt and pepper - a great seasoning. Shepherds added thereto aromatic herbs and garlic, and gladly ate. It was found that seasoning stimulate appetite, improve the condition of the circulatory and digestive systems can be used for prevention of colds.

Interestingly, the classic recipe adzhika does not include tomatoes. It is a thick paste of hot peppers (usually red, but sometimes used unripe green or orange) with salt, garlic and spices. The most commonly used fenugreek, parsley and oregano are also popular fenugreek, basil, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, mint, fennel, savory, and others. Sometimes a mixture of vinegar is also added for better safety and seasonings give it a piquant acidity.

Today, many call adzhika any hot sauce with peppers and garlic, including tomato-based. Of course, these kinds of adzhika significantly different from the traditional seasoning, but they are also tasty and healthy.

Addicting

The most widely adjika received in Abkhazia, Georgia, in the Caucasus and in Transcaucasia. There are two main types of seasonings - adjika fresh and dry adjika. Dry adjika - this mixture of dried peppers, dried garlic and herbs. This seasoning is added to soups and sauces to stews, poultry or fish to make a moderately sharp taste.

Fresh adjika is red (from the fully ripe peppers) or green (unripe pods of). Red adjika usually served to baked or grilled meat, roast poultry, soups, egg dishes, rice, beans and vegetables. Less spicy green adzhika seasoned stews, vegetable stews, poultry, fish, cheeses, sauces, eggplant or squash caviar. For fried foods green adjika not usually served.

From adzhika you can prepare a delicious sauce, spicy seasoning mixing with sour cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine   or thick yogurt. In addition, a mixture of sour cream adzhika perfect for smudging the birds before baking in the oven: This allows you to get an appetizing golden brown and give the dish a delicious taste.

The basic recipe and variations

Prepare adjika easy, especially if the farm has a blender or even a regular chopper. In the old days cooking adzhika started with the fact that with the help of flat stones pepper, salt and garlic rubbed for a long time, until a smooth paste. Now the recipe is much simpler: all the ingredients are crushed using a blender or grinder. Proportions may be arbitrary, but usually take peppers twice than garlic.

Adzhika of hot peppers - a dish for everybody. For those who does not like spicy, better to replace a part of hot peppers sweet. This adjika has a more soft and delicate taste. Even more delicate taste can be achieved if we make the foundation of the dishes are not hot peppers, and tomatoes. Adjika of tomatoes, sweet peppers, and apples with garlic and a few pods of hot pepper is sometimes called "female".

For the preparation of the "female" adzhika 2, 5 kilos of tomatoes should take only 3 pod hot pepper and 200 grams of garlic. Sometimes also added to the mixture, apples, sweet pepper and carrot (not more than one third of the total number of tomatoes). Such a flavoring in contrast to the classical adzhika stored is not very good, so chopping vegetables to add a small amount of vinegar. It is advisable to use natural vinegar.

Classic recipe adzhika does not include heat treatment: all the products are ground into a puree. However, some adzhika, prepared with juicy tomatoes, apples or plums, you must boil down to low heat until thick. Of course, these sauces are less useful than conventional adjika because thermal processing detrimental effect on vitamins Vitamins for everyone . But boiling allows to achieve the desired consistency of sauce and keep it long enough. Garlic, spices and hot pepper are added to the already cooked and slightly cooled down puree.

Safety measures

With hot pepper trifled: this vegetable contains in its composition irritant capsaicin. It should be noted that capsaicin is useful in its own way, for example, it has an antibacterial effect and helps fight colds, and can also be used for the prevention of cancer. But at the same time, this substance can cause skin burns. Therefore handling hot peppers should be performed only with gloves. Also, you should protect your eyes - not only to touch them in the process of cleaning and cutting the pepper, but possible not to bend close to the blender.

How useful would neither was adjika, it should not be abused those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is better to refrain from the use of pepper seasoning and those who have irritation and ulcers in the mouth. But those who lose weight, adjika not hurt: in the classic version of this seasoning does not contain fat and, consequently, a large number of calories, and the bright and rich flavor of the sauce will saturate the faster, ie protect against overeating. Furthermore, it is believed that the savory accelerate metabolism, and hence contribute to weight loss.

Maria Bykov

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