Chicken tabaka facts for kids
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| Place of origin | Georgia |
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| Region or state | Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Central Asia |
Chicken tabaka (Georgian: წიწილა ტაბაკა tsitsila tabaka) or chicken tapaka (Georgian: წიწილა ტაფაკა tsitsila tapaka) is a yummy chicken dish from the country of Georgia. It's a special way of cooking chicken by pan-frying it until it's crispy and delicious. This dish is not just popular in Georgia, but also in many other countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
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What is Chicken Tabaka?
Chicken tabaka is a very old and traditional recipe from Georgia. Georgia is a country located where Europe and Asia meet. This dish became very popular in restaurants across the Soviet Union and is still a favorite today. You can find it in many places, especially in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
How is Chicken Tabaka Made?
The secret to chicken tabaka is how it's cooked. The chicken is flattened out before it's fried. This helps it cook evenly and get super crispy.
The Special Pan
The chicken is fried in a special pan called a tapa (Georgian: ტაფა). This pan is designed to help flatten the chicken. To make sure the chicken stays flat and cooks well, a heavy weight is placed on top of it while it fries. Imagine pressing down on the chicken to make it thin and flat!
Modern Cooking Methods
Today, cooks often use special pan sets. These sets might have a very heavy lid or even a special screw press. These tools do the same job as the old weights. They press the chicken down firmly. This makes sure the chicken cooks all the way through and gets that perfect crispy skin.
What Does Chicken Tabaka Taste Like?
Chicken tabaka is often seasoned with garlic to give it a strong, tasty flavor. It can also be served with different traditional Georgian sauces.
Popular Georgian Sauces
Some common sauces include:
- Bazhe (pronounced BAH-zheh): This is a rich walnut sauce.
- Satsivi (pronounced saht-SEE-vee): Another delicious walnut sauce, often used with chicken.
- Tkemali (pronounced tkeh-MAH-lee): A tangy plum sauce that adds a sour and sweet kick.
These sauces add even more flavor to the already delicious crispy chicken.
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Weighing down the chicken on the pan
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Chicken tapaka with hazelnut sauce
