It would be easier to write this now, without the agonizing pain of an impacted wisdom teeth. I’m in Tbilisi which is the best place for Georgia to get such things taken care of, and tomorrow, it comes out.
It is time to start making cheese again in Svaneti. On my last trip to Canada, which was nearly two years ago, I bought a secondhand guide for $3 that included a full illustrated guide on how to make gourmet cheeses at home. I miss the cheeses of my youth and childhood, but they are expensive here because they’re imported.
I still have the original 20 cm diameter cylinder mold, as well as the cheesecloth and beeswax. I never made a good press for the cheese, which is an essential part of this process. I designed one, and then discovered in the amazingly rich YouTube archives that the solution to the problem was to constrain the weight vertically. Now, in the capital, I visited the Eliava bazaar, near Tsereteili Metro to stock up on exotic components.
I wanted to make sure that the entire press would not rust. This meant using a combination of plastic (the upper- and lower-boards) and stainless steel (the rods that bolt to the lower board, and are fixed there to allow the upper board only to move as needed). I needed a thicker plastic board than the ones you can buy at home supply shops. The rods had to be threaded on only one end so that the bolts and washers could be attached. Otherwise, they were smooth.
Following the advice of an American friend, who has lived in Eliava for nearly as long as me and makes many things by hand. I wandered around Eliava until I came across this special place. In one shop I found all of the parts I described above and much more. Parts in various shapes and sizes, including stainless steel, brass, aluminum, copper, tin. Sheet plastics from 1mm to 2cm thick as well as solid cylinders for as long as needed. He also makes bespoke furniture, and advertises his work by posting photos on the wall. When you’re the best or the only one, you won’t come cheap. I spent 240 GEL on my pieces. This included cutting the boards (160 GEL was the cost of the largest part) and the rods with their threads. I bought a little more than I needed, but I can always cut it off. If I had bought too little, I couldn’t add anything.
It was gratifying to see these machines, which are decades old, with CCCP (USSR), stamped on them. These machines can be used to drill, cut, saw, trim or lathe any shape, and they make parts for other machines. As long as I could describe what I wanted and had the money and time (about an hr), all doors were open. Need a custom-made roof-rack for you vehicle? You can have metal grills on your windows filigreed in any way you like. A shish-kabob grill (which I use to smoke food as well)? These are the three most popular choices. My parts are a bit different, but nobody has ever asked me why.
There are no ear protections in the world of men, but they do wear safety eye-goggles, and gloves. I’m afraid that the constant noise level will cause them to lose their hearing as it did for my father when he was an engineer. I have given up on trying to convince any man, not just my closest friends in Svaneti but also here, to wear ear-covers. It’s not cool or something. It’s not my fault that no one follows my example.
I’ll have my friend drill the holes and polish the boards. Once I have a stable temperature and humidity (using an air conditioner and humidifier) I will be ready to make cheese at home in the mountains. I’ll make it for my wife and me, the guesthouse, and as a gift to neighbors who don’t mind the flavor. It’s not a commercial production but that’s okay. You have to live, as the Russians and Americans say.
BLOG by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer is a writer and photographer who has been working for GT since 2011. He has lived in Georgia and Svaneti, respectively, since 1999. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge