Sweets of Armenia - GUM Old Armenian Market
GUM MARKET / Գումի Շուկա - It’s an old market located close to the city center, near the metro station “Zoravar Andranik.”
Here you will find a wide variety of food: from fruits and vegetables to bread and meat.
Some part of the market is very “touristic” with picture-like fruits and veggies. The sellers are extremely friendly, always trying to demonstrate their knowledge of 3-5 words of any language in the world. Here you can also find a wide range of food seasonings that are unique to Armenia.
The displays of fresh and dried fruits at this covered market are pretty as a picture. In summer, radiant peaches, cherries, apricots, and berries decorate the stalls. Dried fruits and nuts are found year-round, including strings of syrup-coated walnuts known as sweet sujuk. There are also veggies, herbs, basturma (cured ham), and blocks of cheese. Come hungry as vendors give samples.
Armenian Sharots / Sujukh - Շարոց / Քաղցր Սուջուխ
Ingredients needed are quite simple as well as the making of it.
Hope you guys give it a try and enjoy your own homemade sharots.
2 lbs of walnut halves, threaded on a strong thread ( refer to YouTube video for tutorial)
64 oz ( 1.89L) Grape juice, or any juice you like (I use Concord grape juice )
12-14 oz (350 grams) molasses ( grape, mulberry or any kind ), optional
1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
½ cup of cornstarch
1-1 ½ cups of sugar ( taste it while cooking and add more to your preference )
1 tsp ground cinnamon ( or 4 sticks)
1 tsp ground clove
½ tsp ground nutmeg
It’s important to prepare the place you will be hanging the churchkhela to dry
Start by threading walnuts, set aside
Pour the juice into a heavy bottom saucepan and bring it to a simmer
In a large mixing bowl combine flour and corn starch
Add half of the hot juice over the flour- starch mixture and stir with a spoon ,then switch to electric mixer
Mix on medium speed and continue adding more juice
As soon as the mixture turns thick and smooth ( lump-free) mixture transfer to the saucepan with the remaining juice, stir, and place over the medium heat
Add molasses, sugar, and spices
Cook by stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes
Dip one row of the threaded walnuts to test, if it comes out thick, dip the rest if not, then cook a bit more and test again until the right consistency reached ( you can always double dip if needed)
Hang sharots to dry at room temperature 5-7 days.
Cut one to check, if the inside looks dry ,it’s ready
To remove the thread from dried churchkela, simply cut the bottom tip and pull off the string from the top hanger
Slice and serve
Enjoy!