Pomegranate molasses
A thick, sour condiment made by reducing pomegranate juice over heat until it is concentrated, used across the Middle East, the South Caucasus and the Balkans in dressings, stews and grilled dishes.
Bazhe (walnut sauce base)
Bazhe · Georgian walnut sauce · Walnut sauce base
A Georgian walnut sauce of ground walnuts, garlic, vinegar and spices, thinned with water or broth. It is served with poultry, vegetables and bread, and is the sauce of the dish satsivi.
A walnut sauce for Georgian tables
Bazhe is a traditional Georgian sauce made mainly from walnuts. It is creamy and is usually served alongside other dishes rather than poured over them. It is most closely associated with poultry.
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Ingredients
The base is ground walnuts. Garlic gives the sharp note and wine vinegar the tang, as the article describes it. Water or broth thins the sauce to the wanted consistency. The spices named are coriander, blue fenugreek and marigold, which the article also calls Georgian saffron. Salt and pepper season the sauce, and pomegranate juice or molasses is an optional addition for mild sweetness and depth.
The article gives no quantities for any of these ingredients, so amounts are left unknown here.
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Method
The walnuts are ground into the base. Garlic and spices are worked in, the vinegar is added if used, and water or broth is added to adjust the thickness. The sauce is seasoned with salt and pepper. The article does not describe the grinding technique, the order of mixing, or any cooking or resting step, and the sauce is not cooked.
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Uses
Bazhe is most often served with poultry, and especially with satsivi, a chicken or turkey dish served cold with the sauce. It is also served with eggplant or potatoes, as a dip for bread, and as a sauce for grilled meats. The article does not mention fish.
Bazhe is often confused with satsivi. The sauce is one component; satsivi is the dish.
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Regions and variation
The article describes no regional variations. Its ingredient list is a general one, so local versions of the spices and vinegar are not established from the sources read.
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Storage and open questions
The source read gives no storage time or temperature. The sauce is uncooked and ground, so its keeping depends on handling that the source does not describe.
Open questions: quantities, regional variants and the grinding method need a source that gives them.
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History
The Wikipedia article describes bazhe as a traditional Georgian sauce and gives no date for its origin. It is associated with poultry, especially in the dish satsivi, which the article describes as popular at festive occasions and holidays. No dated source is read for the sauce.
Ingredients
Scaling: not stated
WalnutsGround to form the base.
Amount not stated
No quantity given in the source read.Garlic
Amount not stated
No quantity given in the source read.Wine vinegar
Amount not stated
Typical souring agent; the source does not give an amount.Water or broth
Amount not stated
Added to adjust the consistency.Coriander
Spice; no amount given.
Spice; no amount given.
Marigold (Georgian saffron)
Spice; no amount given.
To taste.
Amount not stated
Seasoning; no amount given.Pomegranate juice or molasses (optional)
Amount not stated
Optional, for mild sweetness and depth.Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Walnuts are a tree-nut allergen.
- Grind the walnuts fine to form the base of the sauce.
- Add the garlic, spices and salt to the ground walnuts and work them together.
- Add the vinegar if used, then water or broth a little at a time until the sauce reaches the wanted thickness.
- Season with salt and pepper and adjust. Add pomegranate juice or molasses if used.
Places
Georgia
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceWikipedia places the sauce in Georgian cuisine. It gives no regional origin, so the row stays at country level.
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Sources
WikipediaIngredients · Method · Uses · History
BazheTraditional Georgian walnut sauce; ground walnuts, garlic, vinegar (typically wine vinegar), water or broth, coriander, fenugreek, marigold called Georgian saffron, salt and pepper; optional pomegranate juice or molasses
Method: walnuts ground into the base, water or broth added, seasoned with salt and pepper; no step-by-step given
Uses: with poultry (satsivi), eggplant or potatoes, bread dip, grilled meats; fish not mentioned
Satsivi is a poultry dish served with bazhe, popular at festive occasions
Cited in: A walnut sauce for Georgian tables; Ingredients; Method; Uses; Regions and variation; Storage and open questions