Pelamushi (ფელამუში)

Pelamushi is one of Georgia's oldest harvest foods — a thick, wobbly grape must pudding set with cornflour and studded with walnuts, prepared each autumn when the wine grapes are pressed. It appears on every Georgian table from late September through November, served cool or at room temperature as a sweet end to a feast.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 litre (4 cups) fresh red grape juice (unsweetened, or fresh-pressed must)
• 80g (⅔ cup) fine cornflour (cornstarch)
• 50g (¼ cup) caster sugar (reduce or omit if juice is very sweet)
• 100g (¾ cup) walnut halves, lightly toasted
• Ground cinnamon, to garnish

Instructions

1. Reserve 200ml (¾ cup) of the grape juice in a bowl and whisk in the cornflour until completely lump-free. Set aside.
2. Pour the remaining 800ml of grape juice into a medium saucepan along with the sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes.
3. Re-whisk the cornflour mixture to recombine, then pour it in a steady stream into the hot grape juice, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue whisking for 5–7 minutes until the mixture thickens to a consistency slightly thicker than crème pâtissière — it should coat the back of a spoon heavily.
4. Scatter walnut halves in the base of a shallow dish or individual glasses. Pour the hot pelamushi over the walnuts.
5. Leave to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set and sliceable.
6. Serve cold or at room temperature, dusted with a little cinnamon.

Cook's Notes: Traditional pelamushi uses fresh Rkatsiteli or Saperavi must — if neither is available, good quality bottled unsweetened dark grape juice works well. The pudding will be softer if served the same day; overnight refrigeration firms it to a sliceable jelly.