Georgian cuisine is a variety of dishes made from meat and vegetables , thickly flavored with spices , herbs , seasonings and therefore very tasty, aromatic, satisfying and nutritious. And these are desserts and treats, sweet and healthy.
Georgian national dishes are very original , because they have been prepared for many years. The food is extremely delicious. Unique recipes and amazing hospitality of the residents – all this attracts gourmets from all over the world . Here are the TOP 12 Georgian dishes worth trying.
Khinkali
Outwardly, this dish resembles huge dumplings of a somewhat unusual shape . The dough bags contain a delicious meat filling. In its classic form, it is lamb (minced lamb) with broth . Also today you can find options filled with mushrooms , cheese, potatoes, and other types of meat.
They eat khinkali with their hands, and the dough tail located on top is left uneaten. This can be explained quite simply: during cooking, dense dough may remain half-baked .
The history of this dish is interesting. They say that they came up with a Georgian recipe that was needed to help soldiers recover after battles with the Persians.
Chakhokhbili
This Georgian food is a delicious meat stew and is one of the most popular dishes in the country. Today it is most often made from chicken , but sometimes other meats ( poultry , pork , lamb ) are also used.
Once upon a time, chakhokhbili was prepared from pheasant , in fact, that’s why this dish is called that. The dish has an unusual history: once a Georgian woman needed to cook pheasant , but the problem was that there was no fat in the house. The lady was not at a loss and at first simply fried the bird , as they say, dry, and then seasoned it with spices and left it to simmer in tomato sauce .
Chikhirtma
This dish, which is a thick and aromatic soup , is both very satisfying and quite light. It is most often prepared with poultry broth , mainly chicken, or lamb. A dressing made from flour , usually corn, and beaten yolks or yolks and whites makes chikhirtma thick and nutritious .
It is interesting that this first dish of Georgian cuisine does not contain vegetables , which, however, does not spoil it at all. The soup is flavored with lemon juice (less often pomegranate), which gives it a piquant sourness.
Khachapuri
These flatbreads stuffed with cheese , the name of which can be literally translated as “bread with cottage cheese ,” have been baked in Georgia since the Middle Ages. In appearance, they more often resemble open pies . There are also closed options, when all the filling is hidden inside the dough.
The recipe for this Georgian food depends on the region and has significant differences. For example, Adjarian khachapuri resembles a boat filled with cheese , in the middle of which there is a semi-liquid egg . Eating such a dish is a whole ritual. You need to break off a small piece of flatbread, generously dip it into the filling and eat it with gusto.
Churchkhela
This Georgian dessert, similar to an unusual colored candy , consists of nuts, usually walnuts, strung on a thread, in a shell of natural condensed grape juice . The delicacy can be filled with hazelnuts (and other nuts), apricot kernels , and raisins. There are various options for preparing churchkhela, but any of them is worth trying.
Once upon a time, warriors took this dessert with them on the road. This can be explained very simply: churchkhela has excellent taste , high nutritional value and does not spoil for a long time even at high temperatures.
Lobio
This dish is prepared from beans , which are stewed with tomatoes, herbs ( cilantro , celery ), adjika , various herbs and spices. Any beans can be used : small, large, green beans, which are also called “lobio” . The dish is equally tasty hot or cold.
Legend says that it was first prepared by an ordinary Georgian for Queen Tamara and her soldiers returning from a campaign. The tired and hungry warriors were sheltered by a woman who lived with her son. Their house was robbed, and therefore the only food they had was beans and spices. However, the woman’s son was not at a loss and prepared a fragrant dish , which amazed not only the soldiers, but also Queen Tamara. He called his creation “lobio”, and since then this dish began to be served at the most noble receptions.
Pkhali
This Georgian appetizer is a godsend for vegetarians , because it contains no meat. It is prepared from:
- greens or vegetables (for example, green beans , nettles , spinach , leeks , kohlrabi – any edible plant is suitable);
- spices;
- walnuts;
- pomegranate seeds (for decoration).
Once upon a time, this dish was made from dried herbs ; it greatly helped the residents of Georgia during crop failures, wars, and fasting. In different regions of the country it is prepared in its own way, so there are more than a hundred varieties of pkhali .
Kharcho
This hearty, aromatic dish, the name of which translates as “beef meat for kharcho ,” is a rich soup with meat, rice, spices, nuts, tomatoes or plums, lemon or pomegranate . Beef and lamb are traditionally used to prepare it. Today you can try other options: with pork , poultry , fish, which are variations on the theme of a famous dish.
The preparation of such soup in Georgia began a very long time ago, according to historians, around the time when local peoples began to master agriculture and cattle breeding. Today you can try kharcho in any Georgian restaurant .
Satsivi
This savory dish is a thick sauce that is served with any meat , including poultry, as well as fish. To prepare it use:
- walnuts ;
- greenery;
- spices, spices and always saffron , which gives the sauce a recognizable soft yellow tint;
- lemon or pomegranate to obtain characteristic sourness.
Satsivi is also called a hearty, tender and aromatic dish , which includes, in addition to sauce, pieces of chicken or turkey. In Georgia, it is often prepared for Christmas holidays and other significant dates.
Ajapsandali
This dish is prepared from vegetables (tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers, carrots, onions), cut into fairly large pieces, with spices and spices, which are stewed in their own juice , without water, which allows you to preserve all their benefits. Sometimes cheese or meat is also added to ajapsandali .
Georgians call this dish “lazy food” because of its ease of preparation. Most often it is used as a cold appetizer, but you can also eat it warm, in any case it will be delicious. Legend says that the authors of the recipe were shepherds who cooked ajapsandali over a fire high in the mountains .
Chkmeruli
A flavorful and satisfying dish of roasted chicken served with a thick creamy sauce with spices and herbs. Georgians love chkmeruli for its ease of preparation and rich, bright taste. They eat it with pita bread or potatoes.
For the first time, such a dish began to be prepared in the mountain village of Chkmeri , which explains its name. Legend has it that a local prince was outraged by the fact that the cook was always cooking chicken, and demanded something completely different. But the cook had nothing else, and to avoid disfavor, he stewed the chicken in creamy garlic sauce . The owner really liked the new dish and soon became very popular throughout the country.
Chakapuli
The name of this dish has an interesting translation – “meat in foam.” For cooking, meat is used (lamb, veal, lamb, in the classic version on ribs), which is stewed in broth with wine , herbs and spices, plums or tkemali sauce. The result is a thick, rich soup, which is also a full-fledged second soup, very satisfying and aromatic.
Chakapuli is prepared mainly in spring and early summer. According to tradition, it is made on spring church holidays, including Easter, in cauldrons over a fire, which makes it especially tasty. At one time, this dish was Stalin’s favorite .