A Food-Lover's Guide to Georgia

Lobio
Lobio | © Georgian Recipes / WikiCommons

Georgian cuisine is quite diverse, with every region having a specific specialty. Eastern Georgian cuisine is full of meat, bread, animal fat and wine, while the western part is distinguished by nuts, peppers, and dairy products. Here’s a food-lover’s guide to Georgia.

Adjara

The Adjarian cuisine is the most diverse; highly influenced by Turkish food. Similar to its neighboring country, you can find Baklava in Adjara. The mountainous part of the region uses dairy products in cooking, making their meals greasy and heavy.

https://instagram.com/p/Bekwo1vFeOL/

The most popular Adjarian meals are as follows: Borano (chopped cheese fried in boiled butter), Chirbuli (breakfast meal prepared with eggs and nuts), Khavitsi (a dish made from coarsely ground corn flour and boiled butter), Kaymak and Sinori (a meal made from ricotta-like diary product and dried dough plates). However, none of them are more popular than Adjarian khachapuri, a boat-shaped cheese pie.

Kakheti

Kakheti is famous for its viticulture, wine, and beautiful vineyards. Mtsvadi, a Georgian version of Shashlik, originated here. Other traditional meals include Khashlama (meat boiled with onion, parsley, celery, bay leaf and red pepper), Chakapuli (mutton or beef meat prepared with tarragon, green plums, dry white wine, and coriander), and Churchkhela (a candle-shaped dessert made from grape juice and nuts).

https://instagram.com/p/BhToO54FQG5/

Mtiuleti (Tesheti, Pshavi, Khevsureti)

Famous meals of Tushetian cuisine include Khinkali (meat dumplings), Gordila (boiled dough), Kaurma (a stew made from pork meat, especially liver, heart, lungs, and kidney), Kotori (Tushetian version of Khachapuri made from cottage cheese instead of ordinary cheese). Additionally, the pride of Tushetian cuisine is a goat cheese called Guda. In Pshav-Khevsureti Khinkali can be made from meat, cottage cheese, and potatoes.

https://instagram.com/p/BhmQlwohuSd/

Imereti

The main meals of Imeretian cuisine are cheese and Khachapuri. Locals bake Kachapuri on clay pans, while the majority of cuisine is dominated by plant-based meals Georgians call Phkali. They season those plants with nuts and vinegar, while they put the meat in garlic sauce.

https://instagram.com/p/BTqxZelDlAM/

One of the most popular meals from this region is Kuchmachi, a dish made from chicken liver and hearts seasoned with nuts and pomegranate seeds. Additionally, the area is rich in a variety of mushrooms, therefore, the cuisine has several different mushroom dishes as well.

Svaneti

Svanetian cuisine often uses Sulguni cheese, a local version of mozzarella. Svans use this cheese in many dishes, including Chvishtari (a corn mill bread) and Tashmijabi (cheese infused potato puree). Kubdari is another very favorite meal for many locals. It’s basically is a meat pie. However, the pride of the area is Svanetian salt, a regular salt seasoned with pepper and different spices, giving each meal a completely different taste.

https://instagram.com/p/BTObQ1KABz3/

Racha

Racha region is famous for Shkmeruli (a chicken and milk stew), Lobio (black bean soup), and Lobiani (black bean pie). Locals here bake Lobiani in a clay oven.

https://instagram.com/p/BglWkFPBvHR/

Samegrelo

Megrelian cuisine, similar to Svanetian, uses big portions of Sulguni cheese in their cuisine. Some of the area’s staples are Ghomi (a porridge made from corn mill), Elarji (Ghomi but with cheese inside), and Gebzhalia (sulguni cheese rolls seasoned with mint). Megrelian cuisine is known for being very spicy, so if you don’t like hot meals, ask them not to put in any peppers.

https://instagram.com/p/Bg6vn4HBnMf/

Guria

Just like Imereti, this region’s cuisine is chicken meat and partially plant-based. It also uses a lot of corn mill and is known for Mchadi, a corn mill bread (unlike Svanetian Chvishtari, it doesn’t have cheese inside). Gurians also use clay pans to prepare food and, in order not to burn their meals, they line the pans with vine or walnut tree leaves, giving those meals a special taste and aroma. The most famous of their meals is the so-called Christmas pie filled with cheese and boiled eggs.

https://instagram.com/p/BhWparNATWa/

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article