"Ajika" - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia.

"Ajika" - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia.

Origin of Ajika, according to the legend, is related to Abkhazian herdsmen. Its original name Apirpiljika means salt with pepper.

Ajika initially was used for the purpose of protecting cattle from rustle. Owners would feed their cattle with salt to stimulate their appetite and would also give the herdsmen salt to feed the cattle. Hence cows would drink a lot of water and their weight would increase.

Back then salt was a very precious product. Hired herdsmen would often steal it from the owners. The owners started adding pepper to the salt to prevent theft.

Peppered salt turned out to be more appealing for the herdsmen. They added mountain herbs and garlic to the salt. This is how ajika came into being and soon it spread all over Kolkheti territory. In 2018 technology of making Abkhazian and Megrelian ajika was inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia.