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EveryMasala

Pastes and wet masalas

Adjika

A hot, garlicky red paste of the Abkhaz and Georgian table, with chilli, herbs and salt.

Adjika, or ajika, is a hot sauce from the western Caucasus, from Abkhazia and Samegrelo in Georgia. The word is said to mean salt in Abkhaz. Originally a dry, rubbed paste for livestock, it became a table seasoning.

What goes in

Hot red chilli: 35%35%Garlic: 24%24%Coriander seed: 12%12%Blue fenugreek: 12%12%Dill seed: 6%Salt: 12%12%17parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Dry Dry the chillies and remove the stalks.
  2. Step 2: Toast Toast the coriander, fenugreek and dill seed lightly.
  3. Step 3: Grind Grind the seeds to a powder.
  4. Step 4: Pound Pound the chilli and garlic with salt.
  5. Step 5: Blend Work in the ground seeds and mix to a thick paste.
  6. Step 6: Rest Leave to rest for a day, then store in a jar in the cold.
  7. Hot red chilli: 35%35%Garlic: 24%24%Coriander seed: 12%12%Blue fenugreek: 12%12%Dill seed: 6%Salt: 12%12%
    Finished Adjika, by share.

Dry and wet

The traditional paste of chilli, garlic, salt and herbs such as blue fenugreek and coriander is ground by hand on a stone. Wet versions made with tomato and sweet pepper became popular across Russia and the former Soviet countries.

Use

It is eaten with boiled meat, bread, cheese, beans and grilled foods. It is also fermented in some homes. Recipes differ greatly between households and regions.

Where it is used

Boiled meatBreadCheeseBeans

The spices in it

Chili pepperHeat.FenugreekBlue fenugreek.CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.

Also part of it, and being written: Garlic (Pungent.).

More on EveryMasala

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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