Georgian Cuisine: 10 Must-Try Traditional Dishes Of Georgia

Georgia, a beautiful country between Europe and Asia is worth visiting for its food alone. The country’s strategic location between the two continents has resulted in a remarkable fusion of flavors. It’s not wrong to say that the hearty and flavorful Georgian cuisine is one of the most comforting foods in the world, it’s more like a warm hug. From hot soups and dumplings to rich vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, traditional Georgian cuisine is all about flavor, tradition and togetherness. Just one taste of this amazing cuisine will stay with you for days on end. If you’re visiting Georgia, the top 10 Georgian dishes are a must try as these dishes define the food culture of Georgia.

10 Must Try Dishes From The Georgian Cuisine

Here’s an extraordinary list of culinary delights from Georgia that’s sure to give you a food coma.

1. Khachapuri – Georgia’s Iconic Cheese Bread

Khachapuri, the most comforting food of Georgia, also happens to be the national dish. The iconic boat-shaped famous food of Georgia comes in several regional varieties, including Imeretian, Megruli and Adjaruli Khachapuri.

Origin: Imereti

Made With: Cheese, flour, eggs, and butter.

2. Khinkali – Traditional Georgian Soup Dumplings

Khinkali are large dumplings filled with spiced minced meat of pork, lamb or beef. What makes this

Georgian cuisine very juicy and tasty is the use of distinctive Georgian spices and cooking the stuffed dough in its own juice. The veg version of the Khinkali is filled with mushrooms, cheese or potatoes instead of meat.

Origin: Pshavi, Tusheti, Mtiuleti, and Khevsureti

Made With: Dough, minced meat like pork, lamb or beef.

3. Churchkhela – Famous Georgian Snickers

These candle-shaped sweets are perhaps the most eye-catching traditional Georgian food of all. It is made by dipping strings of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or raisins into concentrated fresh grape juice repeatedly and dried until it forms a chewy, waxy exterior. Churchkhelas are packed with protein and sugar and it’s often served with coffee or wine.

Origin: Caucasus region

Made With: Dry fruits andfresh grape juice.

4. Mtsvadi – Georgian Barbecue Skewers

Mtsvadi is a Georgian kebab cooked over an open flame. Chunks of pork, mutton or veal, are marinated in pomegranate juice or salt and are threaded onto a skewer and roasted over an open fire. Its distinctive smoky flavor from the naked flames is what makes these kebabs the most beloved meat dishes in the Georgian cuisine.

Origin: eastern Kakheti region

Made With: Chunks of pork, mutton or veal 

5. Lobio – Traditional Georgian Bean Stew

Lobio is a hearty bean-based stew made primarily with red kidney beans. All the ingredients are slow cooked until it reaches a soupy consistency. The taste of this food in Georgia varies depending on the ingredients used and the region. It is often served with cornbread or pickled vegetables.

Origin: mountainous regions of the country

Made With: kidney beans, walnuts, garlic, onions, and herbs.

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6. Phkali – Vegetable And Walnut Mousse

Pkhali, also known as the mkhali is a mousse made from a mix of veggies paste and combined with walnut paste and other herbs. The final product is rolled into balls and garnished with pomegranate seeds. This healthy and flavorful dish can be had as an appetizer or can be enjoyed along with the other dishes.

Origin: Imereti, Guria (Black Sea), Kakheti, Samegrelo

Made With: cabbage, carrots, eggplant, spinach, beans, beetroots, onions, garlic, and herbs.

7. Kharcho – Hearty Beef Soup

Another comforting dish in Georgian Cuisine is the Kharcho, a traditional Georgian beef soup. Rice and meat are infused with spices and cooked until the meat falls off its bones. It’s a hearty dish that can be had on a cold winter night along with baskets of chewy shotis puri.

Origin: Samegrelo region (Megrelia)

Made With: beef, crushed walnuts, rice, garlic, and aromatic Georgian spices.

8. Lobiani – Bean-Stuffed Humble Flatbread

Lobiani is a bean-filled humble flatbread baked in a wood-fired oven. This dish is called a humble dish as it costs less than a dollar and can be consumed all day long. The bun is quite crispy from the outside and soft from the inside. It is available everywhere but the city’s oldest bread bakeries sell the best tasting ones.

Origin: mountainous region of Racha

Made With: simple dough, mashed kidney beans, spices

9. Satsivi – Georgian Walnut Sauce Dish

Satsivi is a traditional and popular dish that stands out in Georgian cuisine. Meat like turkey or chicken is cooked in a rich walnut sauce and seasoned with garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander. This simple yet tasty dish is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. It’s generally cooked on festivals and served cold as a main course or a side dish.

Origin: Imereti and Guria

Made With: meat, walnut, garlic, onion and spices.

10. Badrijani Nigvzit – Popular Georgian Appetizer

Badrijani Nigvzit is a popular appetizer made from thin slices of fried eggplant. The strips are rolled after it is stuffed with walnut-garlic paste and garnished with pomegranate seeds. Even if you are not fond of eggplant, you surely are going to be a big fan of it after tasting this dish.

Origin: Kakheti region

Made With: eggplant, spiced walnut, pomegranate and garlic paste.

Suggested Reads: Georgia Travel Guide: An Enticing Blend Of The East And West

Final Words

Georgian cuisine is more than just good food; it is more like participating in a cultural tradition where human connections are made with heartfelt hospitality. There is a famous saying in Georgia, “Every guest is a gift from God.” So, at the table, toasts are made, memories are shared and exotic flavors go down your mouth, making both, your taste buds and mind happy.

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