KhinkaliGeorgian dishes everyone should try
Georgian food is built on walnuts, fresh herbs, garlic and spices like blue fenugreek and coriander. A Georgian table, the supra, is shared by everyone. These are the dishes to know.
Pkhali
Small balls of chopped spinach, beetroot or green beans mixed with ground walnuts, garlic and herbs, topped with pomegranate seeds. A classic starter, and vegan.
Badrijani nigvzit
Thin slices of fried aubergine rolled around a walnut and garlic paste. Served cold.
Lobio
Red beans stewed with onion, coriander and spices, served in a clay pot with mchadi (corn bread) and pickles.
Mtsvadi
Georgian barbecue: skewers of pork or lamb grilled over vine cuttings, served with raw onion and tkemali sauce.
Chakapuli
A spring stew of lamb or veal with tarragon, sour plums or tkemali and white wine. Fresh, green and tangy.
Satsivi and chkmeruli
Satsivi is chicken or turkey in a cold walnut sauce, the dish of Georgian New Year. Chkmeruli is fried chicken baked in a garlic and cream or milk sauce.
Sauces and sweets
Tkemali is a sour plum sauce, adjika a hot pepper paste. Churchkhela is walnuts threaded on a string and dipped in thickened grape juice, and gozinaki is walnuts in honey.
Georgian wine
Georgia has made wine for about 8,000 years. Many wines are still made in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground, a method on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Try Saperavi (red) or Rkatsiteli (white). Find wine shops in Shop Georgian.
Questions people ask
Is Georgian food spicy?
Mostly not hot, but very aromatic: herbs, garlic, walnuts and spice blends like khmeli suneli. Adjika and some sauces are hot.
Is there vegetarian Georgian food?
Yes, plenty: pkhali, badrijani, lobio, cheese khinkali, khachapuri, lobiani and mushroom dishes.
What is a supra?
A Georgian feast with many shared dishes and toasts led by the tamada (toastmaster). Khinkali.com can get you catering quotes for one.