A wide table view of hot Dambalkhacho cheese dip in a shallow earthenware pan with bread for dipping.

YieldAbout 270 g; 3 small sharing portions of approximately 90 g

Serving basis1/3 of the recipe; bread excluded

DifficultyEasy; use finished cheese

Dietary classificationVegetarian and gluten-free by the measured ingredients; contains milk

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The dish

About Pshavi Dambalkhacho Khachoerbo (დამბალხაჭო)

Hot Dambalkhacho cheese dip with clarified butter

Finished Pshavi Dambalkhacho melts with clarified butter into khachoerbo, a warm cheese preparation served with bread for dipping. This measured home version uses traceable, ready-to-eat cheese; it is not a method for making or aging Dambalkhacho.

Dambalkhacho is a distinctive fermented curd cheese associated with Pshavi and Tianeti. The protected cheese is traditionally dried and ripened; this recipe begins with a finished cheese from a traceable producer. Khachoerbo is the warm preparation in which Dambalkhacho is melted with erbo, or clarified butter, and eaten with bread.

The brief soak softens the sliced cheese before it goes into the pan. Stirring over gentle heat helps it melt into the butter, while a little measured water loosens the mixture into a scoopable dip. The exact texture depends on the cheese's age, moisture and salt, so add the water gradually and stop when the dip is smooth and thick.

This is a practical home serving recipe, not a claim that every household uses the same proportions. Do not substitute fresh curd or another cheese and call it Dambalkhacho, and do not try to grow mold or age this cheese at home.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Hot Dambalkhacho cheese dip with clarified butter

For the khachoerbo

200 gfinished Pshavi Dambalkhacho, from a traceable producer; trim only as the producer directs, then finely grate or thinly slice
30 gclarified butter (erbo)
250 mlwarm water for soaking; discard after use
40 mlwarm water for the pan, added gradually

To serve

Plain Georgian bread or mchadi, as desired; not included in the yield or nutrition estimate

Method

Prepare the cheese. Check that the cheese is within its use-by date and has been stored as directed. Trim only the dry exterior if the producer recommends it. Finely grate or thinly slice the 200 g cheese.
Briefly soak. Cover the cheese with 250 ml warm water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and discard the soaking water.
Melt the butter. Put the clarified butter in a small heavy pan over low heat. Add the drained cheese and stir continuously as it softens and begins to melt.
Loosen the dip. Add the 40 ml warm pan water a little at a time, stirring until the mixture is cohesive and spoonable. It should be glossy and thick, not separated into a large pool of butter. Do not add all the water if the cheese is already soft enough.
Heat safely and serve. Stir and heat the mixture evenly to 74 °C, checking the centre with an instant-read thermometer. Serve hot at once with bread or mchadi for dipping.

Practical guidance

Success points

Buy finished Dambalkhacho from a traceable producer and follow its storage directions. Ask whether it was made with pasteurized milk.
Briefly soak the sliced cheese, then drain it well so the dip does not become watery.
Keep the pan over low heat and stir continuously; avoid browning the cheese or butter.
For food-safety protection, heat the dip evenly to 74 °C before serving. This is especially important for people at increased risk from foodborne illness.

Practical guidance

If the cheese remains stringy or firm, continue stirring over low heat and add the measured water a teaspoon at a time. A very hot pan can make the butter separate before the cheese melts, so lower the heat if the mixture begins to sizzle. The finished consistency varies with the cheese; the temperature check is a safety control, while a smooth, spoonable texture is the quality cue.

Choose pasteurized-milk cheese when possible. People who are pregnant, older, immunocompromised or otherwise at increased risk should follow official food-safety advice for soft or mold-ripened cheese; heating this preparation throughout to 74 °C is the conservative serving control. Do not use cheese with damaged packaging, unexpected mold or an off odour, and follow producer instructions for any rind.

Serve immediately. If there are leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat once, stirring, until steaming hot throughout and at least 74 °C. Do not leave the cheese dip at room temperature for extended serving.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/3 recipe, approximately 90 g; bread excluded
Calories: About 320 kcal
Carbohydrate: 2 g
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 29 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: About 930 mg

Nutrition is a provisional estimate using generic USDA FoodData Central blue-cheese values as a rough proxy for the finished ripened cheese and generic clarified-butter values. It includes 200 g cheese and 30 g butter, divided into 3 portions; the water contributes no macronutrients. Dambalkhacho's salt, moisture and fat can differ substantially from the proxy, so use product labels and weighed finished portions for a product-specific estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Buy finished cheese from a traceable source; do not make or age Dambalkhacho at home. Ask whether the milk is pasteurized, keep the cheese refrigerated as labeled, and heat the dip evenly to 74 °C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C.

At the table

Set the pan down while hot and serve with pieces of plain bread or mchadi for dipping.
Make only the amount you plan to serve; the dip is at its best freshly melted.

About Pshavi Dambalkhacho Khachoerbo (დამბალხაჭო)

Ingredients

For the khachoerbo

To serve

Method

Success points

Practical guidance

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

At the table

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