Greek Desserts · Asia Minor · Boiled and Simmered · The Summer Table
Greek Walnut and Grape Must Candy (Soutzouki)
Σουτζούκι soo-JOO-kee · Soutzouki
In short
Soutzouki is a traditional confection made by threading whole walnuts onto a string, then dipping the string repeatedly into thickened, spiced grape must until layer upon layer builds into a firm, chewy, sausage-shaped coating around the nuts. It is made specifically at the autumn grape harvest and has no relation at all to the meat products that share a similar-sounding name in other cuisines.
Walnut and Grape Must Candy
- Prep
- 1h
- Cook
- 1h
- Total
- 2h
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Advanced
Ingredients
Ingredients
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Method
- 01Thread the walnut halves onto lengths of sturdy cotton string using a large needle, leaving a small gap between pieces. Tie a loop at the top of each string.
- 02Whisk the flour into a small amount of the cold grape must until smooth, to avoid lumps later.
Flour Whisk the flour into cold must first.Yiayia - 03Bring the remaining must to a simmer in a wide pot with the cinnamon and clove, then whisk in the flour mixture.
- 04Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until thickened to a good dipping consistency.
- 05Keeping the mixture warm, dip each walnut string fully, then hang to dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
Walnuts - 06Repeat the dipping and drying 6 to 8 times, until a good, even coating has built up around the walnuts.
- 07Hang the finished strings somewhere cool and dry for 1 to 2 days, until fully set.
- 08Slice into rounds to serve.
Nutrition, per 2 to 3 slices
- Calories
- 168
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Soutzouki is a genuinely old confection, made specifically at the autumn grape harvest when fresh must is available, and it carries a real risk of confusion given its name, since it shares almost nothing with the cured meat products called by similar names in Cyprus, the Balkans and Turkey beyond the coincidence of sound.
The technique itself is patient and repetitive rather than difficult: whole walnut halves are threaded onto a length of cotton string, then dipped again and again into thickened, spiced grape must, each dip left to dry a little before the next, building up layer after layer until a firm, chewy candy coating has formed the full length of the string.
This tradition travelled with Greek communities from Asia Minor and remains strongest in areas with that heritage, though it appears wherever fresh grape must is available each autumn, since the technique itself needs nothing more exotic than walnuts, string and patience.
Key preparation steps
- Thread whole walnut halves onto cotton string.
- Thicken grape must with a little flour and spice.
- Dip the walnut strings repeatedly, drying between coats.
- Hang to set fully before slicing.
Threading the walnuts
Thread walnut halves onto a sturdy length of cotton string using a large needle, leaving a small gap between each half so the must coating can build up evenly around every piece. Tie a loop at the top for hanging.
Thickening the must
Simmer fresh grape must with a little flour whisked in as a thickener, along with a pinch of cinnamon and clove, until it reaches a good dipping consistency, thick enough to coat the walnuts properly rather than running straight off.
The repeated dipping
Dip each walnut string fully into the warm, thickened must, then hang to dry for twenty to thirty minutes before dipping again. Repeat this six to eight times, building up a proper, even coating layer by layer, then hang the finished strings somewhere cool and dry for a full day or two until completely set before slicing into rounds.
What matters in this dish
Leave real time between dips
Rushing the drying stage means each new layer slides off the last rather than building up properly. Twenty to thirty minutes between dips is genuinely necessary.
Whisk the flour into cold must first
Adding it directly to the hot must risks lumps that never smooth out. Mixing it into a small amount of cold must first avoids this entirely.
Do not confuse this with cured meat soutzouki
Despite the similar name, this is an entirely separate, sweet confection made from walnuts and grape must, with no meat involved at all.
Questions people ask about Soutzouki
Is soutzouki related to the cured meat sausage with a similar name?
No, despite the similar-sounding name used in other cuisines, this soutzouki is a sweet confection of walnuts coated in thickened grape must, with no meat involved whatsoever.
When is soutzouki traditionally made?
At the autumn grape harvest, when fresh must is available, since the whole confection depends on that seasonal ingredient.
How long does soutzouki keep?
Several weeks at room temperature once fully set and dried, similar to other dried fruit and nut confections, thanks to the concentrated sugar in the must coating.
