About us
For us, Churchkhela is part of everyday Georgian culture. Badagi grew from the belief that a product with such a long history and strong identity deserves to be taken seriously.
In 2011, we opened our first branded shop at a time when Churchkhela was largely seen as a seasonal snack, and much of its original character had been lost. We chose to trust the product itself.
No added sugar, artificial colours or preservatives. Just real ingredients, carefully selected and worked with attention to detail. The result is a product whose flavour comes from where it begins: the quality of its ingredients.
Today, Badagi is known well beyond Georgia. For us, it is important that no matter how far we go, the trust on which everything began remains unchanged. We are grateful to everyone who has chosen Badagi over the years and introduced it to others. This is both a responsibility and a motivation for us to keep doing what we do with dedication and love.
Just as opening a branded Churchkhela shop once sounded ambitious, turning it into one of the worldโs most distinctive snacks may sound just as ambitious today. A product that is delicious, vegan and practical at the same time. In the mountains, on a bike, on the road, at events or in a childโs backpack, Badagi finds its place everywhere.
Experience, thoughtful development and our principle that growth is not measured by quantity alone allow us to take Badagi even further and create a new chapter in the history of Churchkhela.
History of Churchkhela
According to Georgian legend, warriors carried it into battle as a compact source of energy. The cotton thread running through it was even said to have been used for stitching wounds, believed to be sterilised during the cooking process.
Its name has its own history. One theory traces โChurchkhelaโ to โchurchkhโ, meaning โskeletonโ โ a reference perhaps to the form created by nuts suspended along a thread.
Archaeological evidence suggests that Churchkhela was stored in clay vessels, allowing it to keep for longer periods. Dense, durable and easy to carry, it was naturally suited to journeys long before the language of energy bars existed.
Made from grape juice, walnuts, hazelnuts and wheat or corn flour, its strength has always been in its simplicity. Today, we keep that principle: no added sugar, artificial colours or preservatives โ just the ingredients themselves.
Best enjoyed with coffee, tea, wine or cheese.
With time, a fine layer of white crystals may appear on the surface. These are natural grape fructose, formed as the Churchkhela matures. Its flavour and texture develop with it: when fresh, it has a soft texture and the delicate flavour of fresh nuts and Badagi. As the fructose crystallises, the aromas become more pronounced and the texture changes subtly, becoming more refined and delicate.
Each stage has its own character.
Shaped by the ingredients, time and the process itself.
