Georgian cuisine

Georgian cuisine refers to the cooking styles and dishes with origins in the nation of Georgia and prepared by Georgian people around the world. The Georgian cuisine is specific to the country, but also contains some influences from the Middle Eastern and European culinary traditions. The cuisine offers a variety of dishes with various herbs and spices. Each historical province of Georgia has its own distinct culinary tradition, such as Megrelian, Kakhetian, and Imeretian cuisines. In addition to various meat dishes, Georgian cuisine also offers a variety of vegetarian meals.

The importance of both food and drink to Georgian culture is best observed during a feast, or supra, when a huge assortment of dishes is prepared, always accompanied by large amounts of wine, and dinner can last for hours. In a Georgian feast, the role of the tamada (toastmaster) is an important and honoured position.

In countries of the former Soviet Union, Georgian food is popular due to the immigration of Georgians to other Soviet republics, in particular Russia. In Russia all major cities have many Georgian restaurants and Russian restaurants often feature Georgian food items on their menu.^[1]

A plate of Georgian khinkali

Lobio

Adjaruli khachapuri

Sulguni cheese

Churchkhela

Making chacha

Appetizers

• Muzhuzhi
• Khachapuri- The most popular variety, Imeruli khachapuri or Imeretian khachapuri, is basically bread stuffed with cheese.^{[citation needed]}
• Lobiani– "Bean khachapuri", bread baked with a seasoned bean stuffing.^[2] Especially eaten on the Georgian holiday of Barbaroba, or St. Barbara's Day (December 17).^[3]
• Kutchmatchi
• Pkhaleuli- Vegetarian dishes from a variety of plants, similar to spinach but each having a unique taste and seasoning. Among these are: Jijilaka, Moloqa, and Ekala. Pkhaleuli is widespread in the Imereti region.^{[citation needed]}
• Abkhazura
• Tsotskhali- A freshly prepared fish from a freshwater source.^{[citation needed]}
• Satsivi- Chicken or Turkey in a walnut sauce.
• Lobio- Beans prepared with ground walnuts, various spices, vinegar and/or olive oil.
• Nadughi- A dairy product similar to cottage cheese, but with a softer taste.^{[citation needed]}
• Matsoni- A dairy product similar to plain yogurt, but somewhat more sour.
• Badrijani Nigvzit- Eggplants seasoned with ground walnuts, vinegar (or pomegranate juice), pomegranates and spices.^{[citation needed]}
• Ajapsandali- A vegetarian dish consisting of eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and seasoning.^{[citation needed]}
• Kupati-
• Soko- Mushrooms prepared in various ways, seasoned with spices and herbs.
• Ispanakhi- Spinach with ground walnut seasoning, spices and herbs.^{[citation needed]}
• Jonjoli
• Mtchadi- Cornbread. Can be small and thick fried in oil, or thin and wide with crunchy surface^{[citation needed]}
• Tarti
• Khizilala- Caviar.^{[citation needed]}

Salads

• Katmis
• Tevzis
• Kvertskhis
• Kiborchkhalis
• Sagazapkhulo
• Khakhvis
• Lobios
• Tcharkhlis
• Kartophilis
• Satatsuris
• Staphilos
• Kombostos
• Sokos
• Ispanakhis
• Kitris
• Tarkhunis
• Khilis
• Boloki tcharkhlit
• Kombosto vashlit
• Ispanakhi Matsvnit
• Tcharkhali vashlit

Soups

Balbis Nivris Matsvnis

Pomidvris Mukhudos Satatsuris

Kharcho Arjakelis Shindis

Dos Gogris Domkhlis

Bostneulis Sokos Ispanakhis

Qvelis Puris Kharsho Chikhirtma

Katmis Staphilos Makhokhis

Lobios Gholos

Vegetables

Sazapkhulo Tolma Lobiani Lobio Nigvzit Mtsvane Lobio

Soko Naghebit Badrijani Brinjit Kartopili Nigvzit Kartopili Kvartskhit

Badrijani Nigvzit Ajapsandali Badrijani Mtsvanilit Kombosto Nigvzit

Soko Ispanakhi Ispanakhi Kvertskhit Badrijnis Borani

Satatsuri Nigvzit Badrijnis Khizilala Ekala Nigvzit Gogris Guphta

Fish

Tarti Tetri ghvinit Shemtsvari Tarti Tsvera Nigvzit da Brotseulit Loko Kindzmatshi Tsotskhali

Tevzi Bazheshi Loko Tsiteli Ghvinit Kephali Shebolili Kephali

Zutkhi Shemtsvari Zutkhis Mtsvadi Zutkhi Kaklis photolshi Tevzi Pamidvrit

Kalmakhi Tarkhunit Kibo Mokharshuli Kibo Kindzit Kibo Tetri Ghvinit

Khizilala Chakhokhbili Oraguli Oraguli Nigvzit Kobri Nigvzit da Brotseulit

Poultry

Tabaka Chkhmeruli Chakhokhbili Kutchmatchi

Tsitsila Shindit Tsitsila Abkhazurd Satsivi Chikhirtma

Ikhvis Chakhokhbili Ikhvi Komshit Bati Shavi kliavit Indauris garo

Ikhvi Bostneulit Katami Brinjit Katami Gatenili Kuch-gvidzlit Satsivi Kvertskhit

Katmis Mkhali Katami Nivrit Shemtsvari Indauri

Meat

Muzhuzhi Betchi Kutchmatchi Abkhazura

Ku Lori Chakapuli

Kababi Mtsvadi Basturma

Guphta Shemtsvari Gotchi Qaurma

Khashlama Tolma Jonjoli

Khinkali Mokharshuli Gotchi Chanakhi

Shilaplavi Mokharshuli ena Dzekhvi

Sauces and spices

• Adjika - a spice paste
• Satsivi - a sort of walnut sauce
• Tkemali - plum sauce

Bread

Traditional Georgian breads are baked in a large well-shaped oven called T'one. Tonis Puri, Mesxuri Puri, Shotis Puri, Cadi are types of bread traditional in Georgia.

Desserts

Churchkhela Gozinaki Phelamushi Kada Nazuki

Paska Vashlis Namtskhvari Alublis Ghvezeli Pakhlava (Baklava) Taphlis kveri

Vardis Muraba Kaklis Muraba Alublis Muraba Komshis Muraba Sazamtros Muraba

Martqvis Torti Shakarlama Tkhilit Nigvziani Kishmishiani Phenovani

Qaviani Shokoladiani Khilis Torti Nigvzis Torti

Drinks

Alcoholic drinks from Georgia include Chacha and wine. Lagidze water is a Georgian flavored soda made with a variety of natural syrups, sold bottled^[4] or mixed in the glass in a soda fountain^[5] Types of mineral water from Georgia are Borjomi, Nabeghlavi and Sairme.

See also

• Caucasian cuisine
• European cuisine
• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Soviet cuisine

References

1. ^ Google Books
2. ^ Lobiani
3. ^ Lobiani, a festive bread for Barbaroba. Retrieved on 28 February 2009
4. ^ Bottled Lagidze Water range on distributor's web site
5. ^ Lagidze Water soda fountain in Tbilisi, Georgia

External links

• Recipes from About Georgia
• Georgian Food and Recipes