How to make healthy ‘tok-chok’ candies from Siberia (RECIPE)
Like many nomadic tribes, the various peoples living in Altai knew how to stock up for the winter not only on salty foods, but also on sweets. ‘Tok-chok’ is just such a dessert, which brings a smile to the face of both adults and kids in the remote Siberian region.
Tok-chok (or chok-chok) is a dessert in the form of candies made of talkan or grinded wheat grains, pine nuts and honey. It’s traditional in the Altai region, which is located in southern Siberia. Despite the fact that this recipe most often only has three ingredients, it’s not so simple.
First of all, what is talkan? It is flour made by grinding sprouted grains or roasted grains of barley or wheat. The Altai people know how to choose grains correctly, roast them and grind them properly. We’ll also try to do it.
When making tok-chok the locals also use aromatic Altai mountain honey. And the final influence on the flavor is given by Altai pine nuts that have the right percentage of natural fat content. But what to do if you want to make this dessert at home? It's simple! Choose the best ingredients from your local region and you will be generously rewarded.
Sometimes milk or sour cream is added to tok-chok to make the dough elastic. In this case, your Siberian candy should be eaten soon after preparing.
For holidays, tok-chok is made in the form of animal figures. The indigenous Altai people believe that this is a way to imbue those animals’ finest qualities into a human; for example, from a bear one can gain strength, and from a turtle - wisdom.
Tok-chok made with different flavors is often sold in stores and markets. In addition to the classic version with pine nuts, you can also use other nuts. It’s not only tasty but very healthy, since it does not contain any sugar.
Talkan is called a ‘living food’ because sprouted barley or wheat grains normalize the body’s digestive system thanks to their useful biological properties. Thus, it satiates and invigorates. Don't forget, maximum health benefits are preserved in unroasted grains and nuts. The creamy, caramel flavor, however, certainly comes through in roasted ones.
I used the ingredients that were available in my local area and remained faithful to the main idea of the traditional recipe. In the Altai Region, talkan is sold ready-made in stores, but I made it myself from wheat grains. The tok-choks turned out soft, juicy, and flavorful.
Ingredients:
- Wheat grains - 100 g
- Pine nuts - 50 g
- Honey - 2-3 tbsp
- Milk - 1-2 tsp
Preparation:
1. Wash the wheat grains to be rid of any dust and possible dirt.
2. Dry them on a heated pan without oil.
3. Continue heating on low, stirring regularly until the grains begin to brown and smell nice.
4. Place the grains on a wide platter to cool more quickly.
5. Roast the pine nuts until lightly browned.
6. Grind the cooled grains into flour. The finer the flour, the more delicate the cookies will be.
7. Grind the nuts. I chopped mine with a knife.
8. Combine the flour and nuts. Set aside a tablespoon of the mixture - you'll need it for the sprinkles.
9. Add one spoonful of honey at a time and watch the mixture form. The thickness of the honey will determine how quickly you get a homogeneous dough.
10. My honey was thick, so I added 2 teaspoons of milk.
11. You should get a small elastic ball.
12. Measure each candy ball with a teaspoon.
13. Roll the small balls in the palms of your hands. Cover each with a sprinkle of flour and nuts.
14. Allow the balls to stand for a few hours so that the flour becomes soaked in the honey and milk.
15. Serve them with traditional herbal tea with milk, or black tea if you prefer.
16. Enjoy!
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