Georgian cuisine

Georgian cuisine (Georgian: ქართული სამზარეულო, romanized: kartuli samzareulo) consists of cooking traditions, techniques, and practices of Georgia. Georgian cuisine has a distinct character, while bearing some similarities with various national cuisines of the South Caucasus, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Every region of Georgia has its own distinct style of food preparation. Eating and drinking are important parts of Georgian culture.
Georgia was one of the countries on the Silk Road, which resulted in travelers influencing Georgian cuisine. The Georgian love of family and friends is one of the reasons why the supra (feast) is so important in Georgia. Supra is offered spontaneously to relatives, friends or guests. Every supra has its tamada (toastmaster), who gives the toast and entertains the guests.
Abkhazian cuisine uses many spices and walnuts. The most popular dishes from Abkhazia are Abysta (Абыста, porridge made of corn, similar to the Margal Ghomi), Apyrpylchapa (Апырпылчапа, pepper skin stuffed with walnut sauce), Achma (Ачма, a variation of Khachapuri), Aritsvmgeli (Арицвмгели, corn bread with walnut), Achash (Ачаш, Abkhaz chudu, with cheese), Achapa (Ачапа, kidney beans with walnut) and Akutaghchapa (Акутагьчапа, hard boiled eggs filled with walnuts, similar to deviled eggs). The most popular dessert is Akuarkuar, a cookie with honey. Ajika is a hot, spicy, but subtly flavored sauce or paste, often used to flavor food. Ajika is also sold as a dry spice blend. Abkhazian wines include Lykhny, Apsny, and Anakopia.
Adjarian cuisine is considered a very diversified cuisine, which has been influenced by its geography (seaside, mountainous part) and by its history. In the mountainous Adjara, the main products are dairy products and the dishes are more fat and heavy and on the other side, in the seaside of the region, dishes are mostly spiced, and use many fresh herbs. The most popular dishes in Adjara are Adjaruli Khachapuri (აჭარული ხაჭაპური), Borano (ბორანო - chopped cheese fried in ghee), Chirbuli (ჩირბული - omelette with walnuts and tomato), Malakhto (მალახტო - mashed kidney beans with walnuts and crude grape juice), Iakhni (იახნი - stew similar to Kharcho, traditionally made in and around Kobuleti), Khavitsi (ხავიწი - porridge of corn with ghee), Sinori (სინორი - made of Nadughi and unleavened dough), Pakhlava (პახლავა - a version of the Turkish Baklava) and Shaqarlama (შაქარლამა - a biscuit).
The cuisine of Guria is based mostly on poultry (especially chicken meat), corn-bread (Mchadi) and on walnuts, like the cuisine of Imereti. The most popular dishes from Guria are Satsivi (საცივი - meat, mostly of chicken/turkey in walnut sauce called bazhe), Mchadi (მჭადი - Cornbread), Kupati (კუპატი - sausage made from pork meat), Badrijani Nigvzit (ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზით - fried eggplant with walnut sauce), Gurian Ghvezeli (გურული ღვეზელი - crescent shaped kind of khachapuri filled with cheese and hard boiled egg which is usually eaten on Christmas Day), Brinjula (ბრინჯულა - a sort of cheese omelette "with a dough base" similar to khachapuri), Pkhali (ფხალი) and Kuchmachi (კუჭმაჭი - Beef or poultry livers with walnut sauce and pomegranate).
The cuisine of Imereti shares many affinities with the neighbouring region of Guria and is known for its plentiful use of walnuts. The most famous Imeretian dishes include Imeruli Khachapuri (იმერული ხაჭაპური - the most common version of the Georgian cheese bread), Mchadi (მჭადი - Cornbread), Pkhali (ფხალი), Kuchmachi (კუჭმაჭი - beef or poultry livers with walnut sauce and pomegranate), Soko (სოკო - fried mushrooms), Lobio (ლობიო - mashed red beans with spices), Badrijani Nigvzit (ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზით - fried eggplant with walnut sauce), Chakhokhbili (ჩახოხბილი - tomato-based soup with poultry meat), Mtsnili (მწნილი - pickled vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage, beets, and jonjoli), Ekala (ეკალა - pkhali made from smilax) Kupati (კუპატი - pork sausage), Satsivi (საცივი - meat, mostly of chicken/turkey in walnut sauce called bazhe), and Tsitsila Isrim-Maqvalshi (წიწილა ისრიმ-მაყვალში - roasted chick in a blackberry and grape based sauce). Imereti is known for its cheeses such as Chkinti (ჭყინტი - Salty cheese), Imeruli Kveli (იმერული ყველი) and also Sulguni (სულგუნი).
Kakhetian cuisine is considered to be a more meat-based cuisine and the region itself is called the "Region of Wine". It is also known as the birth-place of one type of Georgian bread, Tonis Puri.
Kartli is known as a very rich region in terms of fruits (especially apples, apricots, figs, and peaches) and vegetables (especially cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions).
Though most of the historical part of Lazeti is located in Turkey, Lazes in Georgia, especially in Sarpi, still continue to carry their traditional dishes, some of them being :
The regional cuisine of Samegrelo can be considered the most famous in Georgia. It uses many spices and walnuts.
These cuisines are often considered as one due to their similarities.
The cuisines of Racha and of Lechkhumi share most of their dishes and are often grouped into one cuisine as a consequence.
The Cuisine of Samtskhe-Javakheti consists of two regional cuisines: Meskhetian and Javakhetian. Due to their similarities, they are often considered one regional cuisine. This cuisine differs significantly from other regional cuisine of Georgia, partly because of its heavy use of goose meat and historical Turkish rule of the region.
Traditional Georgian breads are varied, and include Tonis Puri, Shotis Puri, Mesxuri Puri, Nazuki and Mchadi.
Georgian breads are traditionally baked in a large, round, well-shaped oven called a tone.
Khachapuri, also spelled as hachapuri, is a traditional Georgian dish of cheese (fresh or aged, most commonly sulguni), eggs and other ingredients.
There are several distinctive types of khachapuri in Georgian food from different regions of Georgia:
Though Georgian cuisine is not very fish-oriented, there are still some dishes mainly made of trout, catfish and carp:
The most popular Georgian meat dishes include:
Sauces and spices common in Georgian cuisine include:
Georgia is the oldest wine-producing region in the world. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the Transcaucasia were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production (Georgian: ღვინო, ɣvino) for at least 8000 years. Due to the many millennia of wine in Georgian history and its prominent economic role, the traditions of wine are considered entwined with and inseparable from the national identity.
Among the best-known Georgian wine regions are Kakheti (further divided into the micro-regions of Telavi and Kvareli), Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Adjara and Abkhazia.
UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Alcoholic drinks from Georgia include chacha and wine (especially Georgian wine). Some of the most well-known Georgian wines include Pirosmani, Alazani, Akhasheni, Saperavi, and Kindzmarauli. Wine culture in Georgia dates back thousands of years, and many Georgian wines are made from traditional Georgian grape varieties that are little known in the West, such as Saperavi and Rkatsiteli. Georgian wine is well known throughout Eastern Europe, and is a significant national export, with exports of over 10 million bottles of wine per year. Georgia is also home to many beer brands, including Natakhtari, Kazbegi, Argo, Kasri, and Karva. There are also many craft beer brands such as Shavi Lomi, Megobrebi, NaturAle & Underground.
Lagidze water is a Georgian flavored soda drink, made with a variety of natural syrups, sold bottled or mixed directly in a glass from a soda fountain. Common types of mineral water from Georgia include Borjomi, Nabeghlavi, Likani, and Sairme.
Georgian cuisine is primarily popular in the post-Soviet states, although it has been gaining popularity in the Western world too in recent years. As such, American magazine Thrillist placed Georgian cuisine as the 4th among the indigenous cuisines of the 48 European countries.
In 2010, Georgian cuisine was described as having had an exotic appeal to Russians that The Independent compared to that of Indian cuisine to the British.