Georgian cuisine

What is Georgian national cuisine? This is originality and simplicity in every dish. It is a skillful combination of meat, herbs, vegetables and spices. It is also a collection of unique Georgian wines, sauces and cheeses. Having appeared on the territory of this country once, they quickly gained popularity far beyond its borders and firmly entered not only the menu of the world’s best restaurants, but also in the daily life of neighboring peoples.

History and development features

The history of Georgian cuisine, like the history of the country itself, goes back thousands of years. It originated from the culinary traditions of various ethnic groups that lived on its territory. Many factors have influenced the development of this cuisine. First of all, this is a good location – Georgia lies at the junction of two continents – Asia and Europe. In addition, it has a favorable mild climate with long hot summers and relatively warm winters. Together with the fertile soil since ancient times, they created ideal conditions not only for the development of agriculture, but also for winemaking. Also on the territory of this country there is a rich flora and fauna.

And incredibly brave and staunch people live here. Having been repeatedly attacked by enemies, he still managed to preserve the originality and identity of his cuisine, passing it on from generation to generation.

But the main role in the process of its formation was played by the Suram Pass. Having conditionally divided the country into two parts – western and eastern, he involuntarily determined the peculiarities of the development of culinary traditions in each of them. Due to the fact that Georgia bordered on Turkish and European lands in the west, it gradually adopted Mediterranean food and cooking habits. The eastern lands gravitated towards Iranian traditions. This is how the differences between the cuisines of the two regions appeared, which still exist, although they are manifested mainly in the use of various products, spices and sauces.

Distinctive features of Georgian cuisine

• Spices and herbs – the great love of the Georgian people for them has become the reason for the emergence of a stereotype: “In Georgia, they eat too spicy dishes.” In fact, this is not the case. Spices are added to sauces and gravies, but only to enhance the taste and give them a unique aroma. Truly spicy food can be tasted only in two regions – Samegrelo and Abkhazia. Although the latter is not part of this country today, it preserves its centuries-old culinary traditions. The most popular herbs here are cilantro, basil, mint, tarragon, savory and green onions.
• Winemaking. The Georgians carried their love for him through the centuries, making the result of their efforts – wine, a national pride. They say that grapes were grown here as early as the 7th – 6th century BC, as evidenced by grape seeds found in one of the regions. Until now, wine is made from it according to special ancient traditions. In addition, this nation has its own drinking culture and wine festival. At the same time, different types of wines are traditionally prepared in the west and in the east. The most famous: saperavi, aligote, rkatsiteli, gorouli, tsarikouri, krakhuna, etc.
• Meat dishes. Recipes for their preparation have lived here for centuries, as Georgians love meat. Pork, beef, lamb, poultry – its appearance does not matter. The way of cooking is much more important. One of the most original is the following: a calf carcass is placed in a bull carcass, a lamb carcass in a calf carcass, a turkey carcass in a lamb carcass, a goose carcass in a turkey carcass, a duck carcass in a goose carcass, and a chicken in a duck carcass. The space between different types of meat is filled with spices and spices. Then the huge roast is sent to the skewer, where it is cooked for at least several hours. As a result, the dish exudes an incredible aroma and has an amazing, incomparable taste.
• Fish dishes – they are very popular in areas that lie near rivers. Fish of the carp family and trout are very popular.
• Fruits and vegetables – a favorable climate creates ideal conditions for their cultivation, therefore vegetable and fruit dishes have a special place in Georgian cuisine. We can say with confidence that they occupy a fair half of it. Vegetables and fruits are boiled, baked, fried, pickled, salted, dried, added to various sauces and dressings and consumed independently.
• Nuts – along with spices, they are widely used in Georgian cuisine, emphasizing the unsurpassed taste of sauces, desserts, fish and meat dishes.
• Cheese – traditionally they are prepared here using the waterskin or jug ​​method and are not just a snack, but one of the main components of dishes. By the way, in Georgia they are boiled in milk, fried on a spit or in a pan, soaked and even baked in dough. Both spicy and mild cheeses are very popular here.

Basic cooking methods:

They say that you can recognize Georgia by the aromas of the most popular dishes, many of which have become international long ago. These include:

Khachapuri – tortilla with cheese

Mtsvadi is a barbecue.

Satsivi is a spiced walnut sauce traditionally served with chicken. Today it has about a dozen varieties.

Khinkali is an analogue of our dumplings. As a filler, not only different types of meat can be used, but also mushrooms or cheese.

Lobio is a bean dish with spices and vegetable oil.

Kharcho – beef rice soup with hot spices.

Pkhali – stewed vegetable pate with nut dressing.

Chikhirtma is a soup made from chicken or lamb broth.

Chicken tabaka – chicken fried with spices in a special pan that makes it a little flattened.

Chakhokhbili is a stew made from chicken or pheasant, which is cooked almost in its own juice.

Ajapsandali is a vegetable dish with spices.

Chakopuli is a festive Easter dish of lamb with plums.

Satsebeli is a nut-fruit sauce.

Adjika is a hot sauce made from tomatoes and spices.

Tkemali – cherry plum sauce with spices.

Gozinaki – Kozinaki made from nuts and honey.

Shakarlama – cookies with almonds.