Home›World of Food›Georgian National Dishes›Borano
Georgia

Borano

Make Ajarian Borano with sulguni softened in hot water and gently melted in golden browned butter

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
Share
Wide Georgian table view of Borano in a clay pan, cheese lifted by a spoon and mchadi beside it.
Yield1 small dish, 4 portions
Serving1/4 recipe, about 150 g cooked
DifficultyEasy; watch the cheese over gentle heat
DietVegetarian; contains milk
Jump to recipe ↓
The dish

About Borano

Borano: Ajarian Cheese in Browned Butter

Borano is an Ajarian hot cheese dish associated especially with the mountain highlands. Its classic simple form combines braided Ajarian cheese with browned butter. This home recipe makes four small portions. The cheese is briefly softened in boiling water, drained, then gently cooked until glossy and stretchy. Serve it immediately with mchadi or plain bread for dipping; the bread is an optional accompaniment and is not included below.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Borano: Ajarian Cheese in Browned Butter

Cheese and butter

  • 400 gAjarian braided cheese or sulguni, finely grated
  • 200 gunsalted butter

Soaking water

  • 1.5 Lwater, boiling, for softening the cheese
  • discard after draining. No salt is added because the cheese may already be brined
Method

Method

  1. Put the grated cheese in a heatproof bowl. Pour over 1.5 L boiling water and leave for about 5 minutes, until pliable. If very salty, drain and repeat once with fresh boiling water.

  2. Drain the cheese thoroughly in a colander. Gather it in a clean tea towel and squeeze away excess water; it should be moist, not dripping.

  3. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until the foam subsides, the milk solids are deep golden and the aroma is nutty. Do not let them blacken.

  4. Add the drained cheese. Reduce to low heat and fold gently for 8–10 minutes, until glossy, molten and stretchy, gathered into a soft mass.

  5. Remove from the heat as soon as the cheese is elastic; prolonged cooking can make it rubbery.

  6. Serve at once in a warm dish with mchadi or plain bread for dipping.

About Borano

About Borano

Ajarian braided cheese and browned butter define the classic combination. Some regional and modern versions add ingredients such as egg, potato or flour; this recipe keeps to the simple cheese-and-butter form. A short hot-water soak softens grated cheese and can mellow excess salt. The water is drained away before cooking. The finished cheese should be molten and elastic, served hot while the butter is glossy.

Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Grate the cheese ahead, but soak and cook it just before serving. Keep the heat low once cheese enters the pan and stop when it turns stretchy; Borano firms as it cools. If using ghee, it will not brown like whole butter. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at or below 4 °C; use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently with 1–2 teaspoons of water until the centre reaches 74 °C. Freezing is not recommended. For a milder substitute, use whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella with a little mild brined cheese; saltiness varies.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

  • Serving: 1/4 recipe, about 150 g cooked
  • Energy: about 675 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 3 g
  • Protein: 22 g
  • Fat: 65 g
  • Fibre: 0 g
  • Sodium: about 720 mg

Approximate estimate based on generic mozzarella and unsalted butter values; Georgian cheese varies in fat and salt. Soaking water is discarded.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. The Borano itself contains no wheat, egg or nuts; optional bread may contain wheat or gluten. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, store at or below 4 °C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

Serving cues

Serving cues

  • Cheese should be molten, glossy and elastic, with golden butter around it.
  • Bring it to the table hot with mchadi; do not count the bread as part of the recipe.
Keep exploring Georgia

More Georgian dishes

See all recipes →
Close view of thick Tashmijabi in a rustic bowl, with a spoon lifting a long elastic strand of cheese.
Georgia · Georgian dish

Tashmijabi

View recipe →
Khavitsi flour porridge with a pool of clarified butter in a rustic bowl
Georgia · Georgian dish

Khavitsi

View recipe →
Walnut churchkhela strings with grapes on a rustic Kakhetian table
Georgia · Georgian dish

Churchkhela

View recipe →