About Svan Narchvi Chvishtari — Georgian Cornbread with Cheese
Eight small golden corn breads made with Svan Narchvi cheese, crisp at the edges and soft in the centre.
Narchvi is a pressed Svan cheese from the highlands of northwestern Georgia. It is made and matured under a specific regional method, so this recipe uses commercially packaged Narchvi rather than attempting to make the cheese at home. The workbook entry names the cheese itself; this practical home recipe shows one documented way to cook with it: chvishtari, a Svan corn-and-cheese bread.
Medium-ground cornmeal gives the patties their gently coarse crumb. Grated Narchvi seasons the dough throughout, while matsoni and egg help it hold together. The mixture rests for 15 minutes before shaping so the cornmeal can absorb moisture. Narchvi varies in saltiness, so the recipe does not add salt by default.
Bake the patties at high heat until their surfaces turn golden and the centre of the thickest one reaches 74 °C. The finished breads are best warm, when the cheese is soft. Narchvi is a raw-milk cheese under its protected specification; buy it in sealed commercial packaging, keep it refrigerated as directed and bake the patties fully. This is a practical chvishtari adaptation, not a recipe for making protected Narchvi.
