As a foodie, I know that I praise more or less anything edible, but Georgian food? It’s just different. As a foreigner it might take some time before you get used to it but as soon as you do, I can assure you it will become one of your favourites.
What makes Georgian food so incredibly tasty and delicious is the flavours. The most common ingredients are walnuts, pomegranate, kidney beans, cheese, honey, coriander and garlic.
1. Khachapuri
The first food on my list is Khachapuri, there’s a lot of different khachapuris in Georgia. These cheese breads come in an array of shapes, sizes, doughs, and fillings. The most popular version is the adjarian khachapuri, which is shaped like a boat, stuffed with melted cheese and butter and topped with an egg.
2. Khinkali
If you are able to only taste one Georgian food, it should definitely be Khinkali, It is actually the National Dish, Just the way Nigeria is known for Nigerian Jollof rice. You’ve got this chunky dumpling with meat (lamb, beef or pork) or vegetarian fillings of mushroom, spinach and cheese. It has the most delicious broth inside. And there’s a whole art to eating it right, I have khinkali at least 3 times a week and while the original khinkali is boiled, my favourite was the deep-fried edition. Deliciousnesssss!
3. Georgian Bread
Georgian bread is baked like Indian naan; in a clay oven with the dough stuck to the side. Almost every meal you order will be served with freshly-baked bread, perfect for dipping in soups or stews. The Georgian bread is known as Puri
4. Georgian Salad
A traditional Georgian salad consist of tomatoes, fresh parsley, basil, green peppers, red onion and cucumber. It’s sometimes served with cheese (imeritian) or chopped walnuts.
5. Georgian Lemonade and Wine
There are two drinks in Georgia that you have to try. First, is the wine, which is absolutely amazing! Georgia is the birthplace of wine and they’ve had more than 8000 years to perfect their craft. What’s unique about Georgian wine is that it’s generally more rich, structured and tannic due to being aged in qvevris (clay urns) that are buried in the ground. The second drink is the Georgian Lemonade, which is a carbonated soft drink originally with tarragon. If tarragon isn’t your cup of soda, you can try other flavours, such as pear, vanilla, lemon, or chocolate. (Lemon is still my favourite).
Another thing to take note is that, in Georgia you will be able to find all the ingredients required to prepare most African dishes, so you are not going to miss the dishes you are used to already. We also have African restaurants here in Georgia.
