Cuisine in the Caucasus: Traditional Georgian Foods You’ll Fall for

Freshly baked breads, gooey cheeses, fresh produce and overflowing wine glasses make for a gourmand’s paradise. Discovering more about the traditional Georgian foods reveals hearty dishes, Silk Road seasonings and an abounding hospitality. Because the country sits along the ancient East/West trade route, you’ll see Mediterranean, Turkish, Middle Eastern influences, just to name a few. These are a handful of my favorite foods and drinks I had while visiting Georgia, so dive a little deeper with me into Georgian tastes. 

Every Georgian dish is a poem ~ Alexander Pushkin

Delicious Georgian Dishes 

Georgians are the best bakers, so be ready to carb load on this trip. Better yet, throw the diet out the window because you are going to want to experience every aspect of Georgian meals. This country is about full bellies, full glasses, full plates and full hearts. 

Khachapuri

It is dishes like these that make you glad you’ve traveled a little off the beaten path. A bread and cheese concoction, this little “Georgian style pizza” as I affectionately call it comes in several versions, all a little different. 

Each variety of Khachapuri is made with the same ingredients, but the construction is what alters the presentation and taste. Imeruli Khachapuri is round in shape, and has the cheese as a filling. Almost like a Georgian quesadilla. Mingrelian Khachapuri is similar, but with cheese added and baked. The most famous visually is the Adjarian Khachapuri, which is boat shaped, with cheese in the center and finished with a cracked egg on top. 

Khinkali

Another famous Georgian dish, Khinkali are little doughy dumplings filled with meaty, brothy goodness. While lamb or a mixed meat are more traditional, there are cheese and veggie varieties that are alternatives for vegetarians. They may appear a bit plain on first glance, they are served with just a dusting of ground pepper, but the real treat is inside. Since there is a broth within the dumpling, there is a specific way to eat your Khinkali. 

Pick up the soup dumpling by the knotted top, or crown. Tilting the dumpling, bite a small piece off the side, creating a hole and slurp out the broth. Then, enjoy the rest of the dumpling. It takes a certain technique not to spill the contents or burn your mouth in the process. The top knot you are holding can be left on the plate, it’s more of a means to the middle than part of the dish. 

Pkhali, Badrijani Nigvzit & Churchkhela

Walnuts and Georgia are best friends. They seemed to be served in some form at every meal. Georgian nuts, primarily walnuts and hazelnuts, are one of the top agricultural exports in the country and because of massive nut production, they appear frequently in all types of traditional Georgian foods. 

Walnut pastes and salads are often served as appetizers. Pkhali are chopped salads that are pureed vegetables, mixed with garlic, herbs and walnuts. They are typically served atop pieces of bread and can be a variety of veggies, but beets, carrots or spinach are most popular. Badrijani is another famous and delicious walnut centered starter. These are rolled and fried slices of eggplant filled with a walnut and herb paste and finished with pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top.

While there are some staple ingredients to these dishes, every cook has their little signature twist, so having a local cook teach you how their recipe is a must. 

Churchkhela are sweets you’ll see hanging from food stands and market windows. They are nuts that are threaded through a string and dipped into grape juice, creating a sticky, waxy outer layer and a nutty treat inside.  

Wash it All Down 

Georgian Wine 

Georgia is one of the oldest and largest producers of wine of any country in the world. One could argue they invented and perfected wine making techniques, some of their production methods are ancient traditions that have been used in the area for millennia. The Kakheti region of the republic is a prime wine drinking territory, with eight districts all devoted to grape growing and wine producing. 

Georgian foods are best paired with Georgian wines, and there are many varietals to partner. Amber wines, or white wines that are fermented with the grape skins on, giving it the orange or honey hue. This style of wine is aged and stored through traditional methods in qvevri, or large terracotta pots that are buried in the ground. 

Cha Cha 

Not the dance, the drink. This grappa-brandy like liquor is made from the pomace of the winemaking process, or the leftover pulp. It’s an innovative way to stretch the use of the grapes to make a liquor in addition to a wine. Cha Cha is quite strong, so it’s best to take as a shot. 

A Supra 

Georgians take eating and celebrating very seriously. Don’t believe me, learn a little more about the traditional feast called Supra. This is an integral part of social culture here, it is a massive meal. There is a Tamada, or the toast master who is the master of ceremonies. They are the head of the meal and they open the Supra with a toast to country, god and guests. 

There are lots of little rules and rituals involved in a Supra. It involves a lot of toasts, drinking from horns and numerous plates of food. If invited to  Supra, you’ll leave a little inebriated and totally satiated. 

A Georgian Cooking Class

Immersive travel is one of the easiest ways to start making changes in your itinerary towards responsible tourism. I always encourage travelers to get involved when exploring some place new. Being an active participant in your vacation gives you an opportunity to learn more about the place you are visiting, connect on a deeper level with locals, and move a little further outside of your comfort zone. A cooking class is the perfect way to further engage on holiday. 

Georgian Flavours offers a sensational culinary course that I absolutely loved. Georgian foods have simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients and are an easy introduction to adding a new international fare to your repertoire.

When you find yourself in Georgia, be sure to book a class! They offer day courses in several different cities throughout Georgia, I had my class at a peaceful urban farm just outside of the city center of Tbilisi. 

Are you looking to travel to Georgia??? Join myself and Purposeful Nomad on an unforgettable group trip in May 2020. We will be traveling through the wine region, the mountains and cities for 12 days of cuisine and culture. We would love to have you & spaces are limited, so secure your spot today!!