Ajika or adjika (
Abkhazian: Аџьыка; ) is a
Georgian subtly flavored sauce or
dip made mainly in the
Samegrelo and
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
regions. It is often used to flavor food. Ajika is primarily capsicum-based and usually includes other spices such as coriander, fenugreek, or
blue fenugreek. Common varieties of ajika resemble Italian red
pesto
Pesto (), also known as ''pesto alla genovese'' () or ''pesto genovese'', is an Italian paste made with basil leaves, crushed garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and grated hard cheese such as Parmesan or '' pecorino sardo''. It originated ...
in appearance and consistency, although a dry version also exists. Though it is usually red, green ajika is also made with unripe peppers.
The dish is also prepared in
Sakarya,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
among the
Abaza people and is patented by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.
In 2018, ajika was included on the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list.
Etymology
The word adjika comes from
Abkhaz language and means "salt".
File:Megrelian ajika.jpg, Mingrelian ajika
File:Green ajika.jpg, Green ajika
See also
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Erős Pista, a popular Hungarian pepper sauce.
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Biber salçası, a hot or sweet pepper paste in
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine () is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, Ottoman cuisine (Osmanlı mutfağı), European influences, Seljuk Empire, Seljuk cuisine and the Turkish diaspora. Turkish cuisine with traditional Turkic peoples, Turkic elements s ...
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Muhammara, a hot pepper dip in
Levantine cuisine
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Harissa
Harissa (, from Maghrebi Arabic) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the Maghreb. The main ingredients are roasting#Vegetables, roasted chili pepper, red peppers, Baklouti peppers (), spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, c ...
, a hot chili pepper paste in
Maghreb cuisine
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Zhug, a hot sauce in
Middle Eastern cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include '' kebabs'', ...
, made from fresh hot peppers seasoned with coriander, garlic and various spices
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List of dips
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List of sauces
The following is a list of notable Culinary art, culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service.
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* – Creamy sauce accompanies with seafood
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References
{{Herbs & spices
Herb and spice mixtures
Georgian cuisine
Condiments