Georgian cuisine. What to eat in Georgia, popular Georgian dishes

Georgian cuisine is simple, tasty and, what is important, cheap. At least inGeorgia! It combines the influences of Europe and Asia, delights with a richness of flavors, colors and aromas and great creativity in combining spices and fresh ingredients. Considered one of the most interesting cuisines of the Caucasus, it is a real treat for lovers of original dishes. Georgian dishes are becoming more and more popular in the world, also in Poland this cuisine is experiencing its renaissance and pleases our palates. Pshare the most popular Georgian dishes!

Georgian Restaurant Prices in Georgia

Georgian dishes in Georgia are really cheap. In elegant restaurants, the dishes are about 20 laris (27 zlotys) each, which is cheaper than in Poland. And in smaller establishments, the dishes are even cheaper and you can really taste them. Of course, the most popular are khachapuri pancakes in various versions. We especially like Ajarian, with egg and butter. The immeruli with cheese is also delicious. We liked the kubdari, a traditional dish in Svaneti. It resembles an imerula, but the main element of the stuffing is meat. Everywhere there were wonderful chinkali dumplings, i.e. characteristic dumplings that are held by the "tail" and the broth is drunk first. Usually sold in 5 pieces, they are cheap and sometimes you can order different stuffing. I also liked Georgian soups. It's an even cheaper way to savor their flavors. I recommend a dish with saffron or bean soup. I tasted delicious tomato soup with croutons. They also have chinkali soup with great dumplings. Meat goulashes are problematic because they usually do not contain any vegetables, and in addition, large pieces of meat can be hard and veiny. I tasted them in the first days, and then I chose other dishes. Salads are bought separately, but they are often so large that they can be a separate dish.

Examples of prices in Georgian restaurants

Chinkali 5 pieces: 10 lari (PLN 13), it happens cheaper
Khachapuri Ajar: about 15 lari (20 PLN)
Khachapuri imeruli: about 12 lari (PLN 16)
Tobacco (chicken): 26 lari (PLN 35)
Soup: from 10 lari (PLN 13)
Vegetables: 10 lari (PLN 13)
White wine 1l: 20 lari (PLN 27)
Red wine 1l: 30 lari (PLN 40)
Water: 2 lari (PLN 3)

Some of our recommended restaurants in Georgia

Cafe Lemi in Ushguli - food very good, and the view from the hammock is unforgettable
Shin da Gori in Gori - an elegant restaurant with good food
El Depo in Kutaisi - it's very cheap here and the food is very tasty

Georgian cuisine. Traditional Georgian dishes: khachapuri, kinkali dumplings, kubdari and others

Georgian cuisine abounds in cheeses, meats, fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as unique sauces, spices and herbs. In addition to vegetables (mainly eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, beans), a lot of walnuts are used, which are added to sauces, stuffings and salads. Meats include mutton, beef, pork and poultry. Cheeses are extremely important and often appear in dishes. We already know some of the traditional Georgian dishes from Poland, and the recipes of Georgian cuisine are already easily available in our country, but we are very happy that we could try them on the spot, created as it has been done for centuries, in the place where they were born. Here are the most popular Georgian dishes!

Khachapuri - a famous yeast cake, a symbol of Georgian hospitality. Traditionally stuffed with salted cheese. It comes in many regional variants, e.g. characteristic khachapuri ajaruli (Ajar) in the shape of a boat, with egg yolk and butter, or round imeruli with cheese
Chinkali (khinkali) - famous Georgian dumplings in the shape of pouches, filled with meat (most often beef, mutton or pork) and broth, seasoned with fresh coriander and pepper. Their food has its own tradition, they are held by the "tail", chewed and drank first the broth, and then the rest is eaten, leaving the tail, which is usually a bit raw. In Georgia, chinkali with spinach or potatoes and cheese is also sold, which resembles our dumplings
Kubdari - the traditional national dish of the Swans. It resembles khachapuri imeruli, except that here the main ingredient of the stuffing is chopped meat. Crunchy, aromatic dish, very tasty and nutritious
Lobio - red bean stew, aromatically spiced with lots of herbs and spices, served with pickled vegetables or with traditional puri bread
Kharcho - an aromatic, stewed soup made of beef, rice, nuts, garlic and saffron, with an intense, slightly spicy taste. It is filling and very specific
Saczivi – chicken or turkey in a thick, aromatic nut sauce, served cold, especially during holidays and celebrations
Tobacco - flattened chicken fried in a hot pan tapa
Pchali – a paste made of cooked vegetables, e.g. spinach, beets, eggplants and walnuts, seasoned with garlic and vinegar, served as an appetizer, often with pomegranate seeds
Ostri – beef stew prepared with lots of tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers and fresh herbs, often served with shoti bread
Mtsvadi – grilled meat in the form of a skewer (usually mutton or pork) marinated and served with tkemali sour plum sauce and raw onions, popular at family gatherings

Spices and herbs used in Georgian cuisine

Georgian cuisine would not be so expressive without the use of aromatic spices and fresh herbs that give the dishes a unique character. Here are the characteristic spices in Georgian cuisine:

Khmeli-suneli (Khmeli suneli) - an aromatic but blurred mixture of spices, traditional in the cuisine of the Caucasian nations, mainly in Georgia. Includes mainly: coriander, fenugreek, dried marigolds, dill, marjoram, bay leaf, basil and black pepper
Blue fenugreek (utskho-suneli) – characteristic of Georgian cuisine, slightly bitter and aromatic, necessary for the preparation of many meat and vegetable dishes, e.g. kubdari
Coriander (fresh and dried) – used for both meat and vegetables and as a decoration. It is the basic ingredient of marinades and stuffings
Marigold (Imeruli saffron) – dried and ground flakes used to color and flavor sauces and dishes with nuts
Red pepper – gives spiciness to stews, marinades and sauces
Cinnamon, cloves and saffron – they add a warm aroma, are often used in Christmas dishes
Basil, mint, parsley, tarragon – fresh herbs used to decorate and emphasize the taste of dishes
Garlic, fennel, savoury, rosemary - an indispensable addition that gives expressiveness
Ajika – spicy seasoning paste made of chili peppers, garlic and herbs, popular as an addition to meat, vegetables and bread
Swawawa salt – aromatic salt with garlic, wild herbs and spices, composed according to the old recipes of the Georgian people

If you like culinary delights, check out Cypriot Cuisine too!

Delicacies - Georgian snickers or churches and tulips

Churchele is a very characteristic snack and delicacy in Georgia. They are called Georgian snickers and you can find them almost everywhere, at bazaars, in shops or stalls at attractions. They are multicolored and oblong, they hang like wax ornaments, although they can also deceive you that they are sausages.

Nothing could be more wrong, they are sweet and filling at the same time. Red, brown, green, pink, purple or yellow. Churchelas are made from what is abundant in Georgia, nuts, flour and grape juice. They are simply nuts strung on a thread, topped with flour and grape juice. Colours tell us about different flavours. They are said to have been born hundreds of years ago in a region called Kakheti.

Tissues - sweets with a specific look - are also popular here. Flat and colorful, they look more like roofing felt than food. These are pressed fruits, like apples, grapes, pulp or cranberries. The fruit is rolled out and left in the sun. Then just add the flour so that the dessert does not crumble.

Georgian wine-flavoured ice cream is also interesting in taste. It's hard to call it sweet, but we met them, for example, in Tbilisi or in Uplisciche.

Drinks and spirits in Georgian cuisine. Lemonade, wine and czacha (chacha)

Lemonades in Georgia are colorful and common. Done, served in glass bottles. They have very different flavors and colors, and what is important, they are usually sweet, also for the heat I preferred bottled water. However, it is worth tasting, the ones with tarragon or pear are popular.

Georgian wine reigns supreme everywhere in this country. Georgia is the cradle of wine in the world, created here for thousands of years in large clay amphorae called kwewri. Almost every night we were served our own wine, in restaurants you can buy a liter of wine for 20-30 lari very cheaply.

On top of that, no Georgian feast can gounnoticed. It is a traditional Georgian high-grade alcohol, produced from grape marc, the remnants of pressing grapes into wine. It is the equivalent of the Italian grappa or Balkan rakiya and is often called the "Georgian moonshine". It is transparent and the alcohol content of the chachi is usually 40–50%. Home versions can be up to 60%. Its production is completely legal, so many Georgians produce it themselves. This is part of Georgia's famous hospitality.

Supra - Georgian feast and feast

In Georgia, food is not only a meal, but also an important element of culture and identity. The focal point is the supra, a festive feast during which the host, called the tamada, conducts toasts and cares about the atmosphere. Toasts are made with wine, but chacha is also an inseparable element of supra. Drinks are traditionally drunk from the horns, which are passed on to subsequent revelers.

Georgian dishes are rich in colors, scents and unique flavors. Based on fresh products, juicy fruits, aromatic spices and nuts, it delights in both the simplest homemade baked goods and exquisite meat dishes. Thanks to the wide use of herbs and spice mixtures, these dishes attract the attention of gourmets around the world, offering a feast of unforgivable culinary experiences.

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What's worth seeing in the area?

You don't have to travel far to find more interesting places. Within a radius of 100 kilometers, there are many attractions waiting for you that will certainly enrich your stay Your trip with additional memories.

Ushguli in Georgia, distance: 0.1 km
Svaneti in Georgia, distance: 27.6 km
Georgia, distance: 92.2 km