• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

196 flavors

196 countries. A world of flavors.

Search

Advanced Search
  • fr
  • Recipes
    • By Course
    • By Region
      • Africa
      • Americas
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Oceania
    • By Diet
    • By Holiday
  • Flavors Map
  • eBooks
    • Breads eBook
    • Christmas eBook
  • Experts
  • About us
    • Register
    • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Continent / Asia / Western Asia / Georgia / Georgia: Gozinaki

Georgia: Gozinaki

April 2, 2015 by Vera Abitbol 7 Comments

Tweet
Share259
+1
Pin1K
Email
Shares 1K
Gozinaki, a nougat made from nuts and honey, is a Georgian treat traditionally made for Christmas and New Year. #dessert #vegetarian #glutenfree #georgia #georgian

Georgia

GOZINAKI

It can be white – with beaten egg whites – or black – without egg whites. It always contains honey and / or sugar, nuts and / or dried fruits, whole, crushed or ground, seeds and flavors of all kinds. Hmmmm… I am talking about nougat!

I warned you my publication about halwa Bahraini would not be my last nougat recipe! So after Cyprus and its pastellaki, Israel and its halva, we are going to Georgia to celebrate the upcoming National Unity Day on April 9th, followed closely by its Independence Day, on May 26th. And in Georgia, nougat is called gozinaki!

But let’s talk about nougat before returning to Tbilisi! Today, no source confirms precisely the exact date of the creation of nougat. However, we know that in ancient times, a candy made in the East was called haloua or halwa, which comes from the word hlou meaning sweet Arabic. At that time, nougat is essentially composed of sugar, pistachio, orange blossom water and / or vanilla.

Its manufacturing process was also known to the Greeks, who prepared it with nuts, hence the origin of its name nux gatum (walnut cake in Latin), the ancient name of nougat.

Nougat was imported to France in the seventeenth century, more precisely in Provence and Marseille which long had a monopoly for its manufacturing.

In the seventeenth century, Olivier de Serres planted the first almond tree in near Montelimar and the fruit was used to make nougat. With its success, he multiplied the number of almond trees and thus Montelimar nougat stole the show from Marseille.

The famous and true Montelimar nougat as we know it today emerged in the mid-eighteenth century with the addition of egg whites, melted with honey and sugar, in order to aerate the end result.

GOZINAKI

But back to Georgia. Gozinaki is made with nuts and boiled honey. This is the most popular dessert in Georgia and started to appear in ancient Georgia. Traditionally, this dessert is served at the Christmas and New Year’s tables as a symbol of wealth but also as a promise for a sweet and happy life and success in all endeavors.

Today, there are many recipes for that sweet treat. They often include almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, but also poppy, flax or sesame seeds. It is said in Georgia that with the promise of a happy life, all fantasies and all combinations are possible for this recipe. So I had two fantasies myself: first the traditional recipe mainly made of walnuts and then a version based on almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and flax seeds.

Gozinaki is the Georgian tradition for Christmas and New Year. And when you are Georgian, you not only gotta love gozinaki but also the tradition that goes along with it. This tradition is called the mekvle or tradition of the lucky charm.

Georgians believe that the first person who crosses the threshold of their house after the New Year will bring great happiness. This person is called mekvle. The morning of the last day of the year, gozinaki and other sweets are prepared in every household. A basket is filled with those treats, to which is added fresh eggs, mandarins and pears. Each family then chooses someone, among the men of the house, who will be the makoutchkhouri or “leg of destiny”, usually a wise man or a young innocent boy but very rarely a woman!

Thus, immediately after the new year, the makoutchkhouri is pushed outside of the house. Then this ritual follows:

He knocks on the door
– “Who is there?”, someone asks
– “I am the makoutchkhouri!”, he responds
– “What do you bring?”, someone asks
The destiny leg will then repeat 3 times:
– “I bring you happiness, health and prosperity!”

Then the door opens and the destiny leg enters the house. Everyone should then verify the content of the basket: gozinaki and all the promised goodies for a happy start of the year should be present. Finally, the makoutchkhouri throws the content of his basket on the floor in order to bless the house!

Isn’t it a nice tradition? Come on, please invite me immediately after the New Year! I will make you gozinaki, and you will be happy! And anecdotally, it’s just delicious!

GOZINAKI

gozinaki
Print
Gozinaki
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Gozinaki, a nougat made from nuts and honey, is a Georgian treat traditionally made for Christmas and New Year.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Georgian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 20 pieces
Author: Vera Abitbol
Ingredients
For the gozinaki with walnuts
  • 1 cup honey
  • 4 cups shelled walnuts
  • 4 tablespoons icing sugar
For the gozinaki with dried fruits and flax seeds
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 cup almonds
  • ½ cup blanched peanuts
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon flax seeds (or sesame seeds)
  • 4 tablespoons icing sugar
Instructions
Gozinaki with Walnuts
  1. Roast the walnuts and break them into small pieces with a knife.
  2. Pour the honey in a non-stick pan, put on low heat and bring to a boil.
  3. When the honey begins to foam, remove from heat and let cool.
  4. Put it back on the stove and repeat this procedure twice to allow the honey to thicken.
  5. Add the icing sugar and stir until reaching boiling point again.
  6. Pour the walnuts and mix well.
  7. When the walnuts are starting to change color (about 3 minutes), remove from heat.
First Method
  1. Immediately pour the mixture on a wet and oiled wooden board.
  2. Spread evenly on the board with a wet hand or the back of an oiled metal spoon.
  3. Level with an oiled roll pin.
  4. Adjust the edges with your hands or with a knife to obtain a square or round of about ½ inch thick.

  5. Using a heated and oiled knife blade, cut equal triangular or diamond-shaped pieces.
Second Method
  1. Immediately pour the mixture on a wet and oiled wooden board.
  2. Form a cylinder of about 1½ inch diameter.
  3. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Using a heated and oiled knife blade, cut equal slices.
Gozinaki with Dried Fruits and Flax Seeds
  1. Roast all the nuts and flax seeds separately and cut into small pieces with a knife.
  2. Pour the honey in a non-stick pan, put on low heat and bring to boil.
  3. When the honey begins to foam, remove from heat and let cool.
  4. Put it back on the stove and repeat this procedure twice to allow the honey to thicken.
  5. Add the icing sugar and stir until reaching boiling point again.
  6. Pour the dried fruits and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  7. Immediately pour the mixture on a wet and oiled wooden board.
  8. Spread evenly on the sheet with a wet hand or the back of an oiled metal spoon.
  9. Level with an oiled roll pin.
  10. Sprinkle flax seeds (or sesame seeds).
  11. Adjust the edges with your hands or with a knife to obtain a square or round of about ½ inch thick.
  12. Using a heated and oiled knife blade, cut equal rectangular-shaped pieces.

Related Posts:

  • Spain: TurrónSpain: Turrón
  • Equatorial Guinea: Nkate Cake (Kongodo)Equatorial Guinea: Nkate Cake (Kongodo)
  • Cyprus: PastellakiCyprus: Pastellaki
  • Georgia: KhachapuriGeorgia: Khachapuri
  • Belarus: KutiaBelarus: Kutia
  • Georgia: Ispanakhis PkhaliGeorgia: Ispanakhis Pkhali
Tweet
Share259
+1
Pin1K
Email
Shares 1K

Vera Abitbol
Vera Abitbol
Vera is the “expert” of the 196 flavors' duo. With over 30 years of experience in the kitchen, she is now sharing her skills as a private chef and cooking instructor.
Vera Abitbol on FacebookVera Abitbol on InstagramVera Abitbol on PinterestVera Abitbol on TwitterVera Abitbol on Wordpress

Filed Under: Asia, Christmas, Dairy-free, Dessert, Georgia, Gluten-free, Vegan, Western Asia Tagged With: almond, flax seed, hazelnut, honey, peanut, sugar, walnut

Previous Post: « Georgia: Ispanakhis Pkhali
Next Post: Georgia: Lobio »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Abigail says

    April 6, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    That looks scrumptious and only 3 ingredients – that’s a winner in my book!

    Reply
  2. [email protected] The McCallums Shamrock Patch says

    April 6, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    Thank you for sharing a fab recipe with me as well as a bit more culture. I adore learning more about cultural recipes ” Gozinaki” looks amazing and I would love to give this recipe a try after reading this wonderful blog post.

    Reply
  3. Sharon @ Savormania says

    April 14, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    I’ve never tasted Georgian food but your post has made me really want to give it a try! I love how you always talk about the culture and story behind each dish. Your blog is truly inspiring!

    Reply
    • Véra Abitbol says

      April 26, 2015 at 5:45 pm

      Thank you very much Sharon !

      Reply
  4. Kathy says

    August 22, 2016 at 7:12 pm

    How do you store this and for how long can you store it? Even better I am looking to purchase this for my daughters upcoming wedding – does anyone know where I can purchase in nj/by area???

    Reply
    • Véra Abitbol says

      August 22, 2016 at 11:29 pm

      Hello Kathy ! y
      You can store it six months in the freezer.
      And for NJ / NY, I have no idea I live in Paris

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Georgia: Gozinaki – cooktheworld2016 says:
    January 27, 2017 at 8:43 am

    […] I’m digressing again. I found this recipe, and had the ingredients in my cupboard because of the Muhammara cook (which needed walnuts). I was […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Us

Vera and Mike

196 flavors is a unique world cuisine and food history blog created and designed by Vera and Mike. (learn more)

Cuisine of the Month: Vietnam

Vietnam: Chuối Chiên (Fried Bananas)

chuoi chien

Vietnam: Bánh Bôt Loc

banh bot loc

Vietnam : Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải

goi ga bap cai

Vietnam: Cà Phê Đá

ca phe sua da

Vietnam: Bún Chả

bun cha

Vietnam: Nem Nướng

nem nuong

Copyright 2012 – 2018 196 Flavors | Privacy Policy | Design Pixelator