“Georgian Food…such as nice…very tasty”
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In Georgia, the food is quite appropriately an expression of the culture. Warm, gooey comfort food like khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread) finds balance with matsoni (sour yogurt). Herbs like tarragon, flat parsley, dill and coriander combine with walnuts and garlic for rich fillings and sauces.
Eating, hospitality, toasts and the supra bind family and friends and snare visitors into long, table-bound interludes. Georgian food and hospitality surrounds you…and can sometimes suffocate you under its weight.
We developed a deep appreciation for Georgian food during our travels there, particularly due to helpful friends and host families who enjoyed providing us a quick and tasty education in Georgian cuisine. Words of wisdom from Lali, our host and instructor in Kakheti resonate: “Onions take parsley; garlic needs walnuts and coriander.”
The following is just a taste, arranged in the order of our experience. Restaurant listings follow. If you do visit Georgia, just ask people where you can find a specific dish and people will be more than happy to help you discover their cuisine.
If you are interested in a specific recipe, post a comment. We are collaborating with a Georgian friend to gather a batch of recipes and we’ll publish what’s of interest.
Khachapuri – no visit to Georgia would be complete (or possible) without a few tastes of khachapuri, the warm, gooey cheese-stuffed bread that oozes and drips with heart-stopping goodness. In addition to the standard round pie stuffed with cheese, other variations include egg-topped (Adjarian khachapuri), the four-fold filo dough pocket, and tarragon, mushroom and rice-stuffed pies.
Arguably the best khachapuri can be found at a home stay when it’s made fresh for breakfast (for us, in Tbilisi and Kisiskhevi) or in Svaneti, where you may also find it stuffed with leek. If you aren’t staying with a family, don’t despair – you can find khachapuri stands on almost every street corner in Tbilisi.
Khinkali – beautifully twisted knobs of dough, usually stuffed with meat and spices (served boiled or steamed). The trick: to eat without making a mess of yourself with the hot broth inside. Sprinkle with black pepper and grab the dumpling by the handle and turn upside down. Take small bites from the side, slurping broth as you go. The traditional khinkali includes meat, but vegetarian fillings of mushroom, and cheese/curd are sometimes available.
Lali taught us how to make khinkali from scratch when we stayed in Kakheti. After a few disastrous attempts, we finally got the hang of how to turn and tuck the dough around the meat. Remarkably, our dumplings maintained their form as they boiled and the broth remained inside. We’re told our khinkali-making certificate is in the mail.
Puri (Tonis Puri) – the Georgian bread staple. Baked in a ceramic circular hearth oven with the dough stuck to the side (like Indian naan), puri comes out moist and sourdoughy, perfectly tainted with black bits from the oven. Its edges are browned and taste faintly of matzo. The best we found was in Borjomi, next to the bus station.
Badrijan Nigzit – roasted eggplant strips, served flat and topped with walnut paste. Sweet and savory, it’s one of Audrey’s favorites.
Pkhali – a paste made from spinach, walnuts, and garlic. Excellent with tonis puri or khachapuri. Another favorite.
Sulguni – as far as we could tell, *the* national cheese. A salted water-soaked cheese with a stringy shell and moist middle. Eat by itself or with a round of tonis puri bread and a plateful of herbs and tomatoes.
Matsoni – a rather sour yogurt that usually shows up topless (well, without a lid) at the table. Trial and error usually works to suit your taste – with warm meat, vegetables, khachapuri, or blend with fresh honey or fruit. After matsoni straight from the farm, store-bought yogurt will never taste the same. Made from boiled fresh milk and a bacterial starter, matsoni is certain to have medicinal qualities.
Lobio – a cross between bean soup and refried beans. Its consistency and taste varies widely, bears a resemblance to Mexican bean dishes and is almost always satisfying. Eat with mchadi (Georgian corn bread) for full effect. We were always on the search for lobio, finding it in some unusual locations.
Qababi (kebabs) – grilled minced meat sprinkled with sumac and onion slices, wrapped in a thin lavash-like bread. In some small towns, this was the only dish available. We were surprisingly never disappointed by it.
Mchadi – Georgian corn bread so dense you’d think it was a paperweight. Eaten with lobio.
Tkemali sauce – taken in small doses alongside cheese, khachapuri, or meat, this sour plum sauce is said to be a cleanser. Whenever we had a meal with a family, out came the canning jar of tkemali sauce.
Lobiani – khachapuri-like bread stuffed with bean paste. Just slightly healthier than the original cheese khachapuri.
Mushmala – a juicy, persimmon-colored fruit about the size of a walnut. It’s dark, shiny seeds look like tiger-eye jewels or something you might play Mancala with.
Tatara – confection made from boiled, pressed grape extract. Think fruit roll-up without the added sugar.
Churchkhela – brown rubbery truncheons made from strings of walnuts dipped in tatara and dried. Sometimes referred to as “Georgian Snickers.” Don’t eat the string!
Dolmas – steamed, roasted, or boiled vegetables or leaves stuffed with minced meat, herbs and rice. Though we don’t especially associate dolmas with Georgia, Rusiko’s rendition with fresh grape leaves from her garden was something special.
Chakapuli – herbed lamb stew from Kakheti, normally eaten at holidays (e.g., Easter)
Mtsvadi (Shashlik) – fire-roasted chunks of pork, salted. Cut some fresh onions and put in a metal bowl over a fire. Among some of the best barbecued meat we’ve ever had. Be careful, chunks of the prized chalahaji (or back meat) are usually in limited amounts and meant to be shared with the group. Audrey learned this after unknowingly taking the whole skewer for herself to shrieks of objection. She then shared.
Adjika – spicy Indian pickle-like paste. We were always served this with cucumber and tomato salad.
Kubdari – khachapuri-like dough stuffed with small chunks of meat, spices and onions. A Svanetian specialty. The place to get it is the restaurant/stop between Zugdidi and Mestia or at a home stay along the route from Mestia to Ushguli.
Svaneti salt – a perfect complement to vegetables, cheese or salad. Made from various spices and herbs. You’ll think you’re inching closer to Persia or India when you smell it.
Mashed potatoes and lots of cheese – Svanetian farmer food. We’ll never forget waking up to a giant plateful (for each of us) of the stuff in Adishi. We took just a few spoonfuls and could barely move.
Cheese and mint – small bits of moist cheese served with chopped mint (and other herbs). A surprising treat at the opening of the Svaneti Tourism Center in Mestia.
Chvishtari – cheese corn bread (a Svanetian version of mchadi with cheese)
Satsivi – poultry (chicken or turkey) served with a thinned paste of walnut, garlic and herbs. Considered a winter dish (“sivi” implies cold in Georgian) and eaten often around the Christmas holiday and the New Year, particularly in the region of Adjari. Though we’ve enjoyed this at Georgian restaurants abroad, we unfortunately didn’t have an authentic opportunity to try it this time around.
Drink
In no way does Georgia suffer from a lack of alcohol…or toasts to go with it.
Georgian brandy – surprisingly smooth and easy to drink. Though Armenian brandy gets a lot of press, Georgian brand is worth a taste.
Cha cha – the drink of sadists and masochists throughout the Georgian countryside. Oddly enough, it’s common practice to have a small drink of the stuff in the morning, apparently to ease the effects of a heavy morning meal.
Rachi – a lower octane hooch/moonshine that makes frequent appearances at the table and in the streets of Svaneti.
Wine – go for the Saperavi. We discuss it a bit more here.
What we didn’t eat:
“Mushrooms with brain and tongue in the pottery,” an actual dish on offer that reminded us of dishes like “pork sweat and sour” from our days in Southeast Asia.
Photo Essay – Georgian Food and Markets
Where to Eat in Tbilisi
Many of our eating experiences took place with friends or host families. Below are a few restaurants and cafes worth a visit in Tbilisi.
Shemoikhede Genatsvale Restaurant (25 Leselidze street): Khinkali as art – some of the nicest looking khinkali we’ve had. Also very tasty.
Kronenburg Restaurant (corner of Leselidze and Diuma): Home-made boiled khinkali. Try the mushroom. Good lobio and badrijan. Friendly waitresses will wrap everything up for you if you order too much.
Salobio: Located near Mtskheta, this large outdoor restaurant is a Georgian institution. Apparently, it’s always been dishing out great lobio, even during the civil war of the early 1990s. Lena and her family introduced us to many of the greats of the Georgian table here – khinkali, lobio, qababi, mchadi.
Rasta Café (right behind Sioni Cathedral on the river): Rasta refers not to Rastafarian, but to the name of the market (rasta, from the Persian meaning “narrow”) that once thrived behind the cafe. Photos line the walls and tell the history of old Tiflis (Tbilisi). Aleko, one of the owners, possesses an amazing knowledge and passion for Tbilisi and is happy to share. We became regulars here and always felt welcome. Georgian and continental cuisine, with 38 varieties of coffee on offer.
Hole-in-the-wall deli and bakery (Vashlovani street): That’s not really its name, but we know it’s located near the Chinese restaurant Picasso between M. Kostava and G. Akhvlediani streets. Offers trays of pkhali, badrijan and tomato ratatouille dishes to go. Each dish is 3 lari. Next door is a bakery with lobiani and various forms of khachapuri. Perfect for assembling a picnic or light evening meal.
Lotus Café (Pushkin Street and Freedom Square): Inexpensive vegetarian restaurant with a visually delightful selection of savory and sweet bites on display in a deli case – stuffed eggplant, soy kofte (meatballs) in a rich gravy, khachapuri and much more.
Mitropane Laridze on Rustaveli: The site of our first khachapuri experience. Once a Tbilisian institution, this underlit mosaic-lined soda fountain on Rustaveli makes for an inexpensive mid-afternoon break of khachapuri and gaz voda (egg cream-like syrupy soda).
If you have a high-speed connection, stick around for the slideshow below.
Article Series - Food in the Caucasus
- “Georgian Food…such as nice…very tasty”
- The Lost Table: Armenian Food
- Kutabs and Kebabs: Azerbaijani Food
July 20th, 2007 at 1:50 am
Oh, man! All of a sudden my lunchbox is sounding less and less appetizing. Know of any Georgian restaurants in Montana?
August 11th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
After eating the same 4-5 Central Asian dishes (all very heavy on meat) for the last 3 weeks, we’re dreaming of lobio and pkhali! We found a Korean restaurant in Tashkent with delicious bimbimbap and wifi to boot! Heaven for our tastebuds and we’re loving the fast connection : )
January 12th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Hello! I was interested in getting a recipe for Kubdari. If you have one and are willing, please send it to my e-mail address: Menelrandir@aol.com. Thanks. – Neil S. McShane
January 17th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Neil, unfortunately, we don’t have a recipe on hand for Kubdari. I’ve asked a friend in Georgia to see if she can send the recipe. I’ll be sure to pass it on to you if she has one! It is delicious stuff!
August 8th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Hello, I was wondering if you had the recipe for “adjika”? I will be going overseas for 2 years and I can’t go without this for 2 years. Please let me know if you are willing to give this up to me? You can email it to my home email :shellymoritz@bellsouth.net.
Thank you in advance!
T Moritz
August 19th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Tony: Unfortunately, we don’t have our own personal recipe for adjika, yet.
After a quick search, this recipe seems to one of the better ones out there:
Adjika Recipe
I doubt the consistency will be what we had become accustomed to in Georgia, however.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:57 am
these are some great photos and resepies as I come from georgia I know how they taste and I just love every one of them. gagimarjot
September 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Giorgi: We are always searching for Georgian food these days! I wish it was easier to find khajapuri in other countries!
September 25th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
OH my GOD HInkali is my favorite food ever!
September 26th, 2008 at 4:41 am
Ia: We too love hinkali (or khinkali, khingali if you like). We were just talking about them (again) yesterday. We may even try to make them in our own kitchen one of these days.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Originally Kubdar was made from bear’s meet(i have tasted it when my neighbour returned from Hunting in Svaneti). It is something you will never forget. But other variations of Kubdari are more spread(with beaf and meat). I will send you the recipe for it as soon as i have one. As for my favourite Georgian dishes – Mtsvadi is a reall winner!!! But do not forget to serve it with pomegranate sauce
November 14th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
P.S. And yes, thank you for such a great articles about Georgia. I am glad you enjoyed time here!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Irakli: Kubdar from bear’s meat – that would be interesting! We’d love to have the recipe. We’ve talked about trying to make Georgian food at home, but haven’t tried just yet…there has always been a Georgian restaurant around and this has made us lazy. Georgian cuisine really is special and it warms the soul. I’m glad you’re enjoying our stories about Georgia!
December 17th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
The khinkali looks so good…reminds me of a thicker-skinned Shanghainese xiaolongbao. Now I’m so curious to try them.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
@Diana: Oh, khinkali are SO tasty! They are bigger than xiaolongbao and the seasoning/herbs are a bit different. Just make sure to take a little bite out of it first on the side to let the steam out, slurp up the broth and then leave the knob behind (you can eat it, but you’ll fill up quickly!).
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
[...] more about Daniel and Audrey’s experiences with Georgian cuisine on their website. And stayed tuned for [...]
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Hi Dan, hi Audrey! I had Georgian food while I was in Moscow and fell in love with it – unfortunately there are no Georgian restaurants in NYC! I was googling for recipes and saw that you guys might have a few – do you have recipes for khachapuri, Badrijan Nigzit, and Chakapuli? I would appreciate any advice or resources you guys had to offer, thanks!
Cristina
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:44 pm
@Cristina: Oh, I really miss Georgian food a lot. There’s nothing close in Central America. I asked one of our friends in New York City who also loves Georgian food whether she knew of any Georgian restaurants there. Here’s what she wrote:
“I know of 3 places but I haven’t eaten at any of them. In Brighton Beach, there’s Georgia 21 on Brighton Beach Ave. There’s also a place on Coney Island Avenue near Kings Highway that might be called Tamada, but I’m not positive – it’s the friendliest looking of the 3. The last is on Avenue U near the Q train station, maybe between 16th and about 20th streets.”
I’m afraid we don’t have any of our own recipes, but this website has some great recipes and mouthwatering photos. Good luck finding Georgian restaurants nearby and cooking Georgian dishes at home!
September 1st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
[...] kids – thanks to the kind nature of the Georgians we met. As big foodies, we were in heaven with Georgian food. Its cuisine is a mixture of Mediterranean, Persian, and something uniquely Georgian. The result is [...]
November 19th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
really nice articles, thank you! khinkali forever!!!!!! I can’t think of anything more delicious
July 13th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hello ! I am searching, in vain thus far I fear, for the recipe for that lovely flat bread you can buy at just about any neighborhood store in any town anywhere in Georgia. It is flat, elongated, brown on bottom and sort of crisp,
looks sort of like a ping pong paddle but with a handle on both ends – sort of like an ” O ” with the sides stretched out. Generally there is a slight depression in the center of the loaf. It is served at most meals in and around Tbilisi and is either cut into sections with a knife or just pulled apart with the fingers. Usually in every section of town on side streets, there is a baker
who makes this bread. He has a very dimly lit cavelike little shop with a wood or gas fired oven and bakes these loaves all day . . . I don’t remember the name of it – perhaps Lavosh ? or Puri ?
July 15th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
[...] about 800 rubles, including sodas. For more on Georgian cuisine, Uncornered Market put together an exhaustive list of Georgian dishes back in [...]
September 13th, 2010 at 2:30 am
I loved seeing your website. I have a page on Georgian cuisine that you might like and find helpful. Feel free to share with others. You’ll find some Georgian recipes there too. We also accept recipe requests and will do our best to get them online as soon as we can. and thanks for such a nice write-up about our country!
September 13th, 2010 at 4:38 am
@Salome: Glad you are enjoying our site and enjoying Georgian cuisine and culture.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
[...] Burma, Cambodia and Laos trailing shortly behind.The most undiscovered cuisine in our opinion is Georgian food. Although the Georgians will tell you that it is entirely unique, we feel that it really is a [...]
April 28th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
[...] by Turkey, Persia and Greece, Georgian cuisine is unique. One part comfort food and another part fine cuisine, it stands on its own. Seek out [...]
May 28th, 2011 at 4:31 am
I am an Armenian, originally from Iran, and delight at reading all the recipes and their names to see the simialrities between thos we use and those of surrounding regions.
There are far more similarities than differences, so travel must have been quite abig thinkg over the centuries for these ot have spread so far and wide.
The world is shrinking, so thanks for bringing a smile to my face via your post and the opporyunity of commenting here too.
May 28th, 2011 at 7:29 am
@Charles: While we were in the Caucasus, it was always fascinating to see the similarities in so many things (food being just one of them) throughout the region. Food in general (and Georgian food specifically) provides us a lesson in sharing at a distance and the constructive use and application of differences!
August 1st, 2011 at 1:17 am
I really enjoyed reading about your experiences and the food of course!! My wife and I are hosting a young lady from Georgia and would like to prepare some of her traditional food as a surprise and wanted to know what you thought would be good to make. Let me know!
Thanks!
August 1st, 2011 at 5:22 am
@Chris: If you are going to try making Georgian food for a visitor from Georgia, I’d go for khinkali. We just made some for the first time last week. Photos of the raw khinkali dumpling and the cooked khinkali. I’ll send you an email with some details. It may be worth trying them once to perfect the recipe. Or, better yet, you might have your guest help you. Sounds like fun regardless.
April 10th, 2012 at 12:15 am
I have Georgian friends in NY, they said that food in Georgian restaurants are not good. I wanted to take my son for his birthday, he is missing Georgia and I thought it would be a nice surprise for him, but my friends said we would be very disappointed.
We cook Georgian very often, I invited my American and friends and I am going to make Chakapuli. By the way who ever tries eggplants with nuts and spices love it!
Thank you very much for your beautiful story!!!! I am missing Georgian bread so much!!!!
April 11th, 2012 at 12:32 am
@Rusudan: We are also missing Georgian bread (kachapuri) a lot as well! I am glad to hear that you are cooking Georgian food at home and sharing it with your friends. I am sure the food you cook at home will be much better than any Georgian restaurant in NY
July 31st, 2012 at 10:01 am
[...] Khinkali may look like simple dumplings, but the combination of herbs and spices with the freshly minced meat that creates a delicious broth inside makes them anything but simple. [...]
August 21st, 2012 at 12:01 pm
[...] a growing English teaching expat population along with one of the greatest cuisines in the world. Georgian food is the holy grail of fine eats, you will really find nothing like it anywhere else. Khinkali is a [...]
December 12th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Hello , i am georgian and give you recipes , i hope you enjoy it http://sisauri.tripod.com/ref/cuisine/cuisine.html
December 16th, 2012 at 6:22 am
@maria: Thank you for the link to Georgian food recipes!
December 30th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
Hello, I am originally from Georgia and I live in US, for over 8 years now. I have been cooking all day today for new years, I made badrijani nigvzit, pkhali, vinigreti,tolma, satsivi and khachapuri is on the way, I am having some Georgian and American friends over. I brought lots of spices from Georgia with me, that’s the key ingredient in Georgian cousin. there are few Georgian restaurants in Brooklyn,NY and they are pretty good. there is also a store were they sell pre made Georgian food and the are very very tasty and they make lavashi there as well.
January 6th, 2013 at 8:14 am
@Tamuna: Wow, you are making all of our Georgian food favorites. Sounds like a terrific New Years feast. All the best to you in the new year!
January 27th, 2013 at 8:16 am
I am from Georgia and I live in Georgia. I’m happy…
:D:D:D most i like hkinkali and acharuli hkachapuri. I am 10 years old.
January 27th, 2013 at 7:16 pm
@Tako: Great to hear from you! Acharuli kachapuri — that’s the kachapuri from Ajara, with the egg inside?
We love, love, love khinkali, too. Some of our favorite food in the world.
Thanks for your comment. Lucky for you to live and eat in Georgia!
February 19th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Hello….we are planning a trip to Georgia sometime in June. We are travelling with our one year old son. We are looking for rustic places to stay among the vinyards and the mountainous regions. Do you have any suggestions? We are real foodies, so a place that could cook up some nice local cuisine as well would be great.
March 14th, 2013 at 7:16 am
@Anya: Sounds like you have a great trip planned for yourself. My suggestion would be to contact the tourism office or a tour company in Kakheti or Telavi. They could probably direct you to bed & breakfasts in the area where you could learn local dishes as well. The place we stayed was owned by a friend, so it was a private affair. Good luck and enjoy your trip!
March 23rd, 2013 at 1:34 am
How about kharcho? That was my first introduction to Georgian food and it tastes like moooore!
March 25th, 2013 at 5:53 am
@Iris: I’m not sure that we tried kharcho when we were in Georgia. I just looked it up and the soup sounds delicious. We’ll have to seek it out now!