Tklapi

Tklapi is dried fruit leather, made by boiling tkemali or sour plums, then pureeing them and spreading the purée into a sheet to dry. This fruit leather is an incomparable souring agent for soups and stews, less astringent than vinegar, more flavorful than tomatoes. The Georgians add no sulphur as a preservative, so their homemade tklapi is a dark reddish brown. Fruit leather is also made from sweeter fruits like apricots and peaches, in which case it is intended for eating out of hand rather than cooking. I have found that the commercially produced fruit leather available here works well in recipes calling for tklapi, even though it is somewhat sweet. Fruit leather may be purchased at Middle Eastern or health-food stores; camping-supply stores often carry it, too. Instructions for homemade tklapi.