Tkemali

A glossy emerald-to-crimson Georgian sauce of cherry plums simmered to a pulp and pounded with garlic, fresh coriander, dill, and the wild minty pennyroyal ombalo, sharp and herbal, spooned alongside charcoal-grilled meats, fried potatoes, and torn bread

Origin: Georgia (Caucasus)

From the journey of Plum.

Tkemali takes its name from the cherry plum itself (Prunus cerasifera), the small sour wild plum that grows across the river valleys of Georgia and ripens twice a year, so that the sauce is made green in early summer and red again in autumn. It is, by common consent, the national condiment of Georgia, as fundamental to the Georgian table as the bread that mops it up. The colour of a given batch is simply a matter of season: the unripe green fruit yields a bracing, almost electric sourness, whilst the fully ripened red plums give a rounder, deeper sauce, and many households put up jars of both to last the winter. What sets tkemali apart from every other fruit relish of the region is the herb ombalo, the wild pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) of the Caucasian hillsides, whose cooling, slightly medicinal note no other mint can replace; alongside it go great handfuls of coriander and dill, garlic pounded to a paste, and a little dried chilli. The sauce belongs to the supra, the Georgian feast, where it is set down beside mtsvadi (skewered grilled meat), fried or boiled potatoes, beans, and roast chicken, its job to cut through fat and richness with a clean, herbal acidity. Georgians regard tkemali as both food and folk medicine, a digestive aid as much as a relish, and the trees that supply it are a familiar sight in village gardens throughout Kartli and Kakheti.

Ingredients

Plums

  • 1 kg sour cherry plums (tkemali), green or red, washed
  • 200 ml water

Aromatics

  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled

Herbs

  • 1 large bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
  • 1 small bunch fresh dill
  • 1 tsp dried ombalo (pennyroyal), or 1 tbsp fresh, finely chopped

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp ground coriander seed
  • 0.5 tsp dried red chilli flakes, or to taste
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

  1. Put the washed plums and the water into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the fruit is completely soft and the skins are splitting.
  2. Tip the softened plums into a colander or sieve set over a bowl and leave until cool enough to handle. Push the pulp through with the back of a spoon, leaving the stones and most of the skins behind. Reserve the smooth purée and discard the stones.
  3. Pound the garlic with the salt to a smooth paste in a mortar, or crush it finely. Chop the coriander, dill, and fresh ombalo (if using) very finely.
  4. Return the plum purée to the cleaned pan. Stir in the garlic paste, chopped herbs, ground coriander seed, dried ombalo, and chilli flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a loose ketchup.
  5. Taste and adjust the salt and chilli. The sauce should be assertively sour, garlicky, and herbal. Cool completely before serving.

Notes

True tkemali plums are hard to find outside Georgia, but ordinary cherry plums, unripe greengages, or a mixture of tart plums sharpened with a squeeze of lemon will all give a respectable result. Ombalo (pennyroyal) is the soul of the sauce and worth seeking out from Georgian or Caucasian suppliers; spearmint is a distant substitute that lacks its cool, resinous edge. Green tkemali, made from underripe fruit, is the more bracing of the two and is the classic partner for grilled meats, whilst the red autumn version suits potatoes and beans. Serve at room temperature.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
© 2026 The Gastrographer. All original research, narratives, and illustrations. All rights reserved.