Description of Georgian dishes. Georgian cuisine dishes


"EACH GEORGIAN DISH IS A POEM." A.S. PUSHKIN

Georgian cuisine dishes This is truly the food of the gods. None of the national and traditional cuisine other peoples do not have such an abundance of food, such mind-blowing smells and such a desire to eat everything that is on the plate ...

There is a beautiful and not quite ordinary legend about the appearance of Georgian cuisine. Once upon a time, God lived on earth. And after one of the meals, he had to move through the Caucasus Mountains. And these mountains were so high that during a long ascent, bread and meat imperceptibly fell out of God's knapsack. And the place where these products fell was later called Georgia. A country where all culinary traditions are so honored and loved. A country in which a meal is not just the absorption of food, but also a leisurely conversation. Because it is simply impossible to imagine a Georgian feast without peaceful communication.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Khachapuri

Probably, there is no person in the world who would not know that there is something in cooking. khachapuri. There is no single recipe for khachapuri. In every region of Georgia, this is delicious and very interesting dish prepared in his own way. And therein lies its attraction. Even Roger Rosen, who knows and loves Georgia well, and the author of an excellent guidebook, writes: "If Georgians emigrated to America in the same numbers as Italians, khachapuri would be as famous and popular as pizza."

Khachapuri can be round or boat-shaped, can be sprinkled with cheese, or can be stuffed with beans. The beauty of this dish is that in most cases it is made from yeast-free dough. Yeasts occupy the lactic acid organisms of matsoni. Sometimes instead of matsoni, you can use kefir or yogurt. But in Georgia this is almost never done. Recently, even khachapuri from puff pastry, which simply stirred up the culinary of this country.

Adzharuli or Adjarian khachapuri. To say that adjaruli is delicious is to say nothing. This is just a magical dish, from which it is impossible to break away. Adzharuli is prepared in the form of a boat, and after baking the dough itself, you should definitely drive an egg into the very middle and put a piece of butter. Then the adjaruli is again placed in the oven and cooked for another 10 minutes until the protein thickens. Adzharuli are served hot and eaten simply with a bang.

Imeruli. This is another kind of khachapuri. One such cake, eaten for breakfast or dinner, may well satisfy the hunger of an adult man. Imeruli looks like a cake. Moreover, it is believed that a good imeruli should consist of a very large amount of cheese and a small amount of flour. Imeretian khachapuri, and sometimes that’s what imeruli is called, is hearty and incredibly tasty dish which is definitely worth a try. Of course, imeruli or any other dish can be prepared at home. But will this dish have the taste of the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea? That is why you should try imeruli only in its homeland - in Georgia. And we can make your dream come true by choosing a profitable tour to Georgia for you.

Megruli. In another way, this dish is called Megrelian khachapuri. For example, everyone knows that it is simply impossible to imagine Italy without pizza. And it is also impossible to imagine Georgia without khachapuri, without a variety of khachapuri, which are so fond of cooking in Georgia. But they don't just love to cook. They love to offer these miracle dishes to all their friends and guests. Megruli is also khachapuri, but unlike all other types of khachapuri, the cheese here is not only inside the cake itself, but also outside. And there is actually an incredible amount of cheese here.

Svanuri. This type of khachapuri also has another name - Svan khachapuri. This excellent dish is prepared from dough with meat filling. Such khachapuri can only be prepared experienced housewives who have mastered this complex technology. It only at first glance seems that cooking khachapuri is easy and simple. But this is far from true. At holidays and weddings this meat pie, which looks so appetizing, takes center stage on the table.

Achma. Truly, this is the king of khachapuri. Hearty and very tasty kind of khachapuri, which is cooked with cheese or meat. It takes 4 hours to prepare it - from kneading the dough to pulling it out of the oven. Therefore, Achma is not prepared every day in Georgia. But if the hostess decided to make this particular dish, then the smell from it spreads throughout the village.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Bread

Bread occupies a special place in Georgian cuisine. Without this ruddy and very delicious pastries Not a single dish is served at the table. But bread in Georgia can be very, very different. It would seem that such a small country, but such a variety of bread that it's just hard to believe!

It is round, fragrant Mrgvili, and rectangular, delicious trahtinuli, and square, melting in your mouth kukhtiani, and sickle-shaped, savory shoty, and rich, beautiful science, and wheat, bursting with warmth puri, and amazing cakes from cornmealmchadi, baked in stone pans "ketsi" on the coals… And all this bread is simply impossible not to try!

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Meat dishes

Meat plays a special role in Georgian cuisine. Georgians are people who do not have any cult or religious restrictions in choosing meat for cooking their favorite dishes. These mouth-watering and incredibly tasty meat dishes are loved not only to cook, but also to eat. And, of course, not a single festive feast can do without traditionally cooked meat on an open fire.

Khinkali. Georgian National dish. This is perhaps the dish that the whole world knows. These envelopes are thin dough with a delicious and very fragrant meat filling, they are very fond of in Georgia. A well-cooked khinkali must have meat juice inside!

Khinkali is an invention of the inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Georgia. The best khinkali is made in Khevsureti, Pshavi and Tusheti. In the mountainous regions, khinkali is the main dish.

It is believed that eating khinkali is the same as drinking Georgian wine. Both must be able to be done.

Khinkali in Georgia is usually eaten only with hands. Before putting khinkali into your mouth, sprinkle it well with black pepper, then bite a little and drink all the juice it contains. And only then is it worth enjoying the magnificent minced meat with the most different peppers. And one more detail: the place where the folds of dough are connected is often not eaten, and by their number you can determine how much khinkali a person ate. They are called "kudi" - a hat.

You will definitely return to Georgia to try this amazing dish again!

bathe. These are very tasty and incredibly mouth-watering sausages, which you should definitely fry before eating. During frying, these sausages are not recommended to be pierced, because in this case the dish will lose all its juice and become very dry.

Mtsvadi. This is a traditional Georgian barbecue, which is made from lamb. It's incredibly delicious and fragrant dish, which is prepared in Georgia quite often. There are three types of mtsvadi. The first is the preparation of shish kebab from whole piece meat tenderloin. The second is a shish kebab of marinated meat. The third is a barbecue with eggplant.


Chicken tapaka (tabaka).
This is a national Georgian dish, which is very often served with festive table. When cooking, a young chicken is fried in a special frying pan with a load (tapaka) along with various spices. From the name of this pan, the dish got its name. This dish is very common in Russia, but you can only taste real tapaka chicken in its homeland - in Georgia.

Satsivi. This meat dish is prepared from chicken, which is then served with the sauce of the same name. In some regions of Georgia, turkey with satsivi sauce or even duck or goose with the same sauce can be cooked instead of chicken. The sauce itself in this case is prepared using a large amount of walnuts.

But about walnuts in Georgian cuisine it is worth mentioning separately.. Walnuts while cooking Georgian dishes are used very often. Usually they are used in the preparation of sauces, but often they also go as seasonings for meat or fish dishes, although fish is rarely eaten in Georgia. In addition, walnuts are widely used in the preparation of soups and a wide variety of sweets. They are put in hot main dishes and cold salads. And not a single Georgian housewife simply imagines how she can do without nuts in her kitchen.

Chakhokhbili. This is a kind of poultry stew. When this dish first appeared in Georgian cuisine, it was prepared only from pheasant, but now the most common chakhokhbili is made from chicken meat. At the same time, before preparing the stew itself, chicken meat must be fried in a dry frying pan for 15 minutes. But the set of vegetables in the preparation of chakhokhbili always remains at the choice of the cook.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Soups

Soups in Georgia are very fond of. Here everyone can find exactly the dish that will appeal to you. Unlike other countries, soups in Georgia are most often seasoned with egg or flour sauce.

Chikhirtma. It is very gentle and tasty soup from chicken meat, in which an incredible amount of a variety of seasonings. Sometimes lamb meat is used in the preparation of this dish. As a thickener, cornmeal is used. In addition, there are absolutely no vegetables here, and this is very unusual for tourists who are completely unaccustomed to such dishes.

Khashi. Favorite hangover dish of Georgians. This soup in Georgia is usually eaten in the morning. There are no vegetables here either, and the broth itself is made from meat offal. It is believed that women should never try this soup, and it should be eaten only with chacha, but not with wine. In addition, this soup does not tolerate toast at all, during which it can simply cool down.

In Georgia, they say, "Khashi is eaten in the morning to gain energy or cure a hangover."


Kharcho
. Oh, this divine dish should be consumed only in this country during a tour to Georgia. What is served in our cafes is completely different from the kharcho that Georgian housewives cook. Real kharcho is a soup that combines softness and tenderness meat broth, tklapi acid and the spice of many varieties of greens, which are certainly put in this delicious dish.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Cheese

Cheese is part of Georgian cuisine. Very many dishes cannot do without them, and cheeses themselves with a combination of bread are a dish in their own right that brings satiety and after which you don’t want to eat something for a long time.

For example, the famous cheese suluguni is a pickled cheese that has a very pure sour-milk taste. This cheese has very few eyes, but it is incredibly loved by all Georgians. Khachapuri is baked with it or used in salads. In addition, it has an unusual white color for us.

less popular and Imeretian cheese . It is prepared from the milk of a variety of domestic animals. This cheese also has a milky color, but in brine it must be kept for several months.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Vegetables

Vegetables occupy a special place on the Georgian table. Without them, it is simply impossible to imagine a full-fledged feast. Boiled and baked, fried and stewed, pickled, salted and raw ... And all this, combined with the most different sauces thousands and thousands of recipes and dishes that are simply impossible not to appreciate the highest level.

Lobio. This is the national dish of Georgia, which includes beans, and the beans can be either green, string or in grains. And from what kind of beans will be used, there will be a variation of sauces. Lobio is served with lavash.

Phali. This dish consists of two parts - dressing and spinach leaves, asparagus, cabbage or beet tops. Dressing, as a rule, consists of nuts, onions and very many herbs.

Eggplant with nuts. Eggplants are often used for cooking Georgian dishes. And the most favorite combination at the same time was and remains eggplant and nuts. The dish is ready in about an hour. During this time, the eggplant is processed and the nut sauce is prepared. Then each strip of eggplant is fried, and then spread with sauce and rolled into a roll. Although sometimes the eggplant is left on a dish in the form of a sandwich or simply folded into 2 halves.


Ajapsandal
. For this dish, again, it is worth using eggplant. The dish can be served both hot and cold, and in appearance it resembles a vegetable stew with meat.

Tkemali. Georgian ketchup, but much more ... Prepared from red or green fruits of the tkemali tree. Nobody leaves Georgia without a bottle of Tkemali.

Adjika. Real Georgian adjika is made only from red pepper, garlic and various herbs. Tomatoes are never used here. Adjika has a traditional red color, but if unripe pepper was used in cooking, then the color may well be green.

Satsivi. This is a traditional sauce that is served with turkey or chicken. The sauce consists of walnuts and a large number of various spices.

Bage. Nut sauce seasoned with garlic and spices. Suitable for everything!

Dishes of Georgian cuisine. Dessert

Churchkhela. This dish is made from strung nuts that are poured or dipped in thickened grape juice. Depending on which region of Georgia the dish is prepared in, grape juice can be very different.

Kozinaki or gozinaki. This national dish of Georgia is most often prepared for New Year's table and is a mixture of nuts and honey. Instead of nuts, you can use peeled seeds.

Pelamushi. Georgian desserts are mostly made with fruits and nuts rather than butter and eggs. Pelamushi is a Georgian delicacy made from grape juice extract, sugar and flour.

Georgian food- this is the same attraction of Georgia as the mountains, the Black Sea, parks and fountains. In order to taste real Georgian food, feel all the tastes of khachapuri and the aroma of khinkali, try unusual cheeses and soups are a must to visit this country. And to do this is not so difficult. It is enough to order tours to Georgia on our website and your taste buds will thank you for this!

Georgian cuisine It is, of course, variety and abundance. An abundance of taste, products, spices, aromas. Khinkali, khachapuri, lobiani - you will want to try everything! And do not deny yourself this (you will regret it later)! Whatever route you choose, whatever souvenirs you plan to bring, you will be guaranteed at least a couple of extra pounds!

TRADITIONAL DISHES OF GEORGIAN CUISINE

Georgian cuisine dishes very filling, with lots of spices. They are easy to prepare and extremely tasty. You can cook anything yourself, you just need to practice a little for best result. There are many dishes, they are varied, the cuisines of Eastern and Western Georgia are slightly different, but there are several dishes that everyone loves in every corner of Georgia.

Khachapuri

Khachapuri- It's a cheesecake. Each locality has its own signature recipes. In essence, they differ only in the shape and location of the filling. Mingrelian ones are considered classic - a round cake with a filling inside, and special in taste - Adjarian ones in the shape of a boat with an egg beaten before serving. Khachapuri is cooked everywhere, in any, even the smallest restaurant, you will definitely find them on the menu.

Snacks

Appetizers to try:
- lobio: boiled beans seasoned with spices;
- pkhali: spinach, beet leaves, etc. seasoned with spices, walnuts and sauce;
- ajabsandal: something like vegetable stew(mandatory ingredient eggplant);
- fried eggplant with garlic and nuts;
- kuchmachi: these are by-products (chicken or pork - stomachs, liver, lungs) cooked on ketsi - a special clay pan;
Mushrooms on ketsi, suluguni on ketsi. Whatever you choose, it's definitely worth a try!
Do not forget about mzhaveuli - all kinds of pickles, and, of course, suluguni cheese.

The first dishes of Georgian cuisine

The most famous soups are kharcho, chikhirtma, matsvnis supi and khashi.
Kharcho is cooked from beef, with the addition of rice, tkemali (plums), garlic, and spices. The soup is very thick, rich and incredibly tasty.
Chikhirtma- it is cooked mainly from chicken, then flour and eggs are added in a special way, and the result is a very unusual consistency, similar to flakes, and of course seasonings.
Matsvnis supi - prepared from matsoni. This is very light soup, it is especially pleasant to eat it in the heat, both cold and warm. But, he has a rather specific taste.
Khashi is practically liquid jelly. It is cooked from a certain part of the stomach and beef legs, served with garlic. soup with very unusual taste, especially good after a bath in combination with a glass of chacha.

Sauces

Georgian cuisine involves the abundant use of sauces. And there are plenty to choose from!
Adjika - spicy sauce from pepper with chechnok and spices.
Tkemali - cooked from plums, seasoned with spices and herbs.
Satsebeli - made from sweet peppers, tomatoes and spices.
Bazhi sauce - considered more festive, is made from cilantro, garlic, spices and walnuts, which are passed through a meat grinder. Diluted to the consistency of thick sour cream. It is usually served with chicken.

Second courses of Georgian cuisine

Khinkali - this dish is somewhat reminiscent of our dumplings, only larger and they are folded with the tail up. The filling is meat, most often different types of meat are mixed. They differ in that either greens are added to the minced meat or not. Ideal khinkali should have 19 to 21 folds on top, the so-called "navel". They eat khinkali with their hands, after taking a bite, they literally suck out the juice. Sauces are not used, only black pepper. "The navel" is also not eaten. It is believed that it is tasteless, moreover, by the number of ponytails, you can calculate the number of khinkali eaten. Of the drinks, beer is the most suitable.
Of course, after a detailed story about khinkali, everything that will be said below will no longer cause such abundant salivation, but still, Georgian cuisine still has enough delicious dishes.
For example, fried suckling pig or "gochi" in Georgian.
Mtsvadi - according to our barbecue, from different varieties meat.
Satsivi is a cold thick and spicy chicken broth dish with nuts and spices.
Chakhokhbili - stewed pieces chicken in tomato sauce, richly flavored with garlic, spices and herbs.
Tobacco chicken, which is laid in a certain way under oppression, as a result of which the bones break, and the chicken acquires a characteristic pose, with spices and garlic.
Chakapuli - lamb stewed with tarragon and plums.
Of particular note is the dish home cooking With beautiful name"ojahuri". This is fried meat with potatoes on ketsi.

Flour dishes

Bread- called "shotis puri", looks like an elongated flattened cake, is cheap and sold at every turn. Especially delicious hot with cheese!
Mchadi is unleavened cakes, shaped like our cutlets, are baked from cornmeal. Very tasty with cheese, sometimes cheese is baked inside as a filling.
It is also worth trying gomi - corn porridge. (Not to be confused with Gomi - Georgian vodka).
Pro khachapuri mentioned above. It is worth adding here a few words about puff pastry khachapuri (foaming) and achme - boiled dough with cheese. Achma is a very interesting dish that is definitely worth a try.

Georgian desserts

Of course, in any cafe or restaurant there is sweet pastries for every taste. You can show off your knowledge and use the word "namtskhvari" - a cake. And from the traditional sweet desserts it is worth highlighting:
- gozinaki: finely chopped walnuts roasted in honey;
- churchkhela: strung nuts that are dipped several times in a grape sauce, hung up like laundry on a line, and left in that position until dry.

Georgian drinks

Very tasty local drinks - lemonade and beer. "Natakhtari" and "Zandukeli" are the main producers, and, most often, they will be offered to you in restaurants. You can also buy lemonade from these companies at any store. Of the flavors, it is especially worth trying creamy "nagebi", tarragon and grape "saperavi".
mineral water large selection, pay attention to the likani and nabeglavi.
Beer is presented in a large assortment and from different producers.
Among alcoholic beverages wine comes first. The choice of wine is huge, it is difficult to advise, only by tasting you can find the very best. The restaurant is worth a try Home wine- it has a slightly different taste than bottled wine, and is more hoppy.
Vodka and chacha in assortment.
And last but not least, it's water. Flowing from the faucet delicious water from mountain springs, so cold that it cramps teeth.

Well, for those who are just planning their trip to Georgia, we can advise you to practice cooking some national dishes. With all the variety of recipes that can be found on all kinds of culinary sites, I would like to recommend two books. The first one is V.V. Pokhlebkin "National cuisines of our peoples", which tells in detail and in a very interesting way about the features, differences and secrets. The second - T.P. Sulakvelidze "Georgian cuisine" with a large number of recipes of the most popular dishes. Try cooking and bon appetit!

National Georgian cuisine is unique and appreciated all over the world for its indescribable taste and aroma.

The contrast of spicy and spicy is the highlight of Georgian cuisine. Delicious, varied and hearty treats generously seasoned with spices and herbs, they carry the aroma of the sun and mountains.

You need to taste everything, but there are dishes, without feeling the taste of which you cannot understand the flavor of this hospitable country. These dishes include:

  • tomato cucumber salad with walnuts
  • khachapuri (cheese cake)
  • khinkali
  • soup kharcho
  • chakhokhbili (poultry stew)
  • lobio (bean dish)
  • shkmeruli (chicken in milk-garlic sauce)

The most popular Georgian dishes

In the western part of the country in the Black Sea resorts worth a try corn tortillas and poultry dishes, and on the east side there are notes of Iranian cuisine - wheat bread and marvelously cooked lamb and beef. All of them are united by a unique cooking technology - a spit and an open fire.

Khachapuri

The classic version of khachapuri is a pie with the famous suluguni cheese.

Cooking options:

  • juicy imeruli, cooked with an incredible amount of cheese;
  • svanuri- stuffed with meat;
  • megruli- cheese filling inside and out;
  • boat-shaped khachapuri, in the center of which they break a raw egg and bake.

Khinkali

juicy, large dumplings generously sprinkled with black pepper, they exude an incredible aroma and they must be eaten with your hands, so that the broth does not flow out. Khinkali are very satisfying and they are served as a main dish by the piece. 5-6 pieces are usually enough for one person.

As a filling for them, Georgians take two types of meat: beef and pork, and the meat should be chopped, not twisted. Be sure to add parsley and cilantro to the filling.

Satsivi

Satsivi is one of the most popular Georgian chicken dishes. It is usually served with spicy sauce which is made by special recipe. A distinctive feature of the sauce is that a large amount of walnuts is added to it. In fact, nuts are the main ingredient.

Satsivi is sometimes made from turkey or goose.

Kharcho

No soup in the world can be compared with Georgian kharcho. Moreover, the Georgians themselves claim that this soup absorbs the aromas and character of their nature, and therefore you can feel the true taste of the soup only in this country.

The soup is very tender and spicy.

Prepared from chicken meat, plus a large amount of seasonings.

For density, either rice or cornmeal is added.

Lobio

Beans plus the cook's fantasy - that's what they say about lobio.

A spicy thick dish of legumes in which there are a lot of onions, garlic, carrots, peppers, herbs and many different spices.

Lobio is prepared in pots, served either with rice or as an independent dish without a side dish.

Beans are sometimes used red, but most often green string beans. Sometimes pomegranate seeds are added to lobio for piquancy.

Suluguni

Georgian cheese is no less popular than meat and wine. The king of all cheeses is suluguni.

The product is used both as an appetizer and as an addition to main dishes.

Almost all Georgian pastries are made with cheese. And sometimes the cheese is simply fried and served as a main dish.

There are many recipes for its preparation, but the distinctive feature of suluguni is the sour-milk taste, which is very pronounced. They make it in the pitcher way. Much depends on the area in which the cheese is produced, the geographical factor affects the subtle nuances of taste. Mint is added to the Imeretian suluguni, which makes the taste of the product softer. Moreover, in the manufacture of this variety, the milk of several types of domestic animals is used. And then some more finished product kept in brine for several months.

The most spicy varieties of Suluguni are Kobi or Tushino cheeses.

Chakhokhbili

The basis of chakhokhbili is tender pieces of chicken, which are first fried and then stewed with the addition of tomato sauce.

A lot of cilantro, parsley, basil, garlic and red pepper are necessarily added to the gravy. Onions are added at the very end, when the chakhokhbili is almost ready.

Ideal for rice.

pkhali

Fans of vegetarian cuisine will be delighted with phali. The basis here is spinach leaves, asparagus, beet tops and cabbage. The vegetable mixture is seasoned with a sauce of herbs, onions and nuts.

Ajapsandali

Ajapsandali is also popular, it consists of the following ingredients: green beans, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic, cilantro, basil, onions. Sometimes potatoes are added hot peppers.

Chogi

One of the most favorite Georgian dishes is chogi. In fact, this is a vegetable snack whose main ingredients are dried dogwood, baked beets and green onion. All components are prepared separately and then mixed. The taste is unusual, but pronounced.

Mtsvadi

This is the name of the well-known barbecue. In Georgia, it is made from beef.

To appreciate the taste of a real Caucasian barbecue, you should try all three types of mtsvadi.

The most common and delicious is made from basturma, beef, which is marinated in advance.

There is also shish kebab of ox tenderloin and lamb mtsvadi with eggplant.

Georgian cuisine sauces

Sour, spicy, tart - Georgian sauces They are abundantly added to almost all dishes, they are even eaten simply with bread.

The main ones are adjika, satsebeli, tkemali, bazhi.

They are all prepared according to the same principle - fruit juice or mashed potatoes are half boiled, then nuts, spices and garlic are added. Fruit juices give a piquant sourness, which should not be confused with vinegar, herbs give aroma.

  • Satsebeli

Satsebeli is based on chicken broth, fruits and nuts, unripe grape juice, saffron, cilantro, pepper, garlic. Serve it both hot and cold, the sauce is perfect for chicken.

  • Tkemali

Plums, herbs and garlic are the basis of tkemali sauce, which is very good with fish and meat.

  • Adjika

Adjika is one of the most spicy and hot spices Georgian cuisine. It is prepared from herbs, salt, garlic and red pepper. It is curious that the red color of the sauce was obtained not due to tomatoes, but due to pepper. Tomatoes are not included in adjika.

  • Bazhi

The most democratic of this list peanut sauce bagi that goes well with all dishes.

Dessert

Of course, one cannot fail to pay tribute to Georgian desserts. Their basis is always fruits, nuts, berries, natural juices and honey.

  • churchkhela

Churchkhela occupies the first place among them. In Georgia they prefer classic recipe- nuts, strung on a string and covered with thick grape juice. The secrets of a real churchkhela are passed down from generation to generation.

  • Gozinaki

Incredible delicious dessert there are also gozinaki made from nuts and honey, which are included in the list of national Georgian cuisine.

Georgia is multifaceted and hospitable. In its sunny villages pierced by the mountain wind, it is best to taste the wines produced by local winemakers. Until now, the Alazani Valley and Ambrolauri are famous for their famous brands of white and red wine.

There is a belief among Georgians that when God distributed the lands among the peoples, the Georgians were busy and were not at all going to participate in the general fuss. They sat and leisurely drank wine and ate barbecue

There is a belief among Georgians that when God distributed the lands among the peoples, the Georgians were busy and were not at all going to participate in the general fuss. They sat and leisurely drank wine and ate barbecue. This touched the Lord so much that he took and gave them Georgia - the land that he saved for himself.

Everything in Georgia is connected with food, feasts and wine! Take any picture of any Georgian artist, and you will definitely see images of stately Georgian men at a generously laid table, on which wine is certainly present. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear "Georgia"? Of course, these are lobio, satsivi, khachapuri, suluguni, tkemali... Names that sound like music!

1. Khachapuri

These cakes from air test with viscous cheese inside they drive you crazy. It's impossible to stop! You pinch off a piece, then another piece and another... There are several types of khachapuri: in Adjarian - in the shape of a boat, with an egg added on top of the cheese filling, in Imeretian - in the form of a cake with cheese filling from Imereti cheese, in Mengrelian - in the form of a cake with a cheese filling, sprinkled with cheese on top. Try to cook Imeretian khachapuri.

Ingredients:

  • Matsoni or kefir500 ml
  • Milk200 ml
  • Chicken egg 3 pcs.
  • Melted butter 100 g
  • Vegetable oil 100 g
  • Flour800-1000 g
  • Dry yeast10 g
  • Sugar 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Imeretian cheese (or Adyghe, soaked cheese) 1 kg
  • Butter 75 g
  • Sour cream 1 tbsp. l.
  • Yolk 1 pc.

Cooking method

  1. In warm (not hot!) Milk, add a pinch of sugar and yeast, pour a little sunflower oil(2 tablespoons), sprinkle with flour and put in a warm place for 15 minutes.
  2. Add yogurt (kefir), one egg and half of the pre-sifted flour to the yeast mixture. Knead, gradually adding the cooled melted butter, salt and the remaining flour. From time to time, pour a few drops of vegetable oil into the palm of your hand so that the dough does not stick to your hands.
  3. We form a ball from the dough, sprinkle with flour and let it rise for 1 hour. Knead and leave again to approach for another 1 hour.
  4. Rub the cheese on coarse grater, add the egg and stir in the softened butter.
  5. We divide the dough and filling into 5-6 parts. We roll each part of the dough into a cake 1 centimeter thick, lay out the filling, leaving 3-4 centimeters from the edge. We connect the edges, turn the tucks down and carefully roll out to a thickness of 1 centimeter. Lubricate khachapuri with a mixture of yolk and sour cream, prick several times with a fork. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180-200 degrees. Lubricate butter let cool slightly and serve.

Truly - Georgian dishes can also please vegetarians! Pkhali - an appetizer in the form of a pate of boiled (stewed) vegetables with nut dressing. Pkhali can be made from young cabbage, green beans, eggplant, beets or beet tops, from spinach. Pinch off a piece of fresh lavash, spread pkhali, put it in your mouth and close your eyes with pleasure!

Ingredients:

  • Spinach leaves500 g
  • Peeled walnuts 75-100 g
  • Large onion 1 pc.
  • Garlic 2-3 pcs.
  • cilantro 1 bunch
  • Pomegranate 1 pc.
  • Utskho-suneli or hops-suneli 1 tsp.
  • Walnut oil optional

Cooking method

  1. Rinse the spinach thoroughly and dip in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, discard and let drain. We squeeze.
  2. walnuts, garlic, onion, grind greens in a meat grinder or in a blender. Add spices, salt and pepper. Knead. Squeezed spinach is also passed through a meat grinder. If the mass turned out to be liquidish, squeeze again.
  3. Mix spinach with walnut dressing. Add some wine vinegar. Spread the resulting mass in the form of balls, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and lightly sprinkle with walnut oil.

Lobio means "beans" in Georgian. There are many varieties of lobio, differing from each other in the varieties of beans used, additional ingredients and seasonings. But without fail, onion, vegetable oil and wine vinegar are used in the lobio recipe. In addition to these basic ingredients, you can use walnuts, Imereti cheese, tomatoes, tklapi, seasoned with cilantro, celery, basil, leek, mint, thyme, black or red pepper, Imereti saffron, cinnamon, cloves, a mixture of hops - suneli and garlic.

Ingredients:

  • Beans500 g
  • Large bulbs 2 pcs.
  • cilantro 1 large bunch
  • Garlic 3-4 cloves
  • Salt, adjika, suneli hops, ground coriander to taste

Cooking method

  1. Soak beans overnight in cold water. 1 onion cut into large enough, add to the beans and cook with closed lid until the beans are done. During this time, the onion will almost dissolve and give all its flavor. The beans should become completely soft and knead with a spoon into a paste.
  2. Cut the cilantro, chop the garlic. Cut the second onion into thin half rings. Mash the beans so that some of the beans remain intact. Stirring constantly, add adjika, coriander, suneli hops, salt.
  3. Then turn off the stove and immediately add the chopped herbs, onion and garlic. Stir, cover with a lid and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Serve lobio with fried pork or gomi ( corn porridge).

These are pieces of chicken soaked in delicate sauce with a tart nutty flavor. The fresher the nuts, the more tender the flavor and aroma will be. Cinnamon, cloves, Imeretian saffron fill this dish with a truly Georgian sound. Not a single Christmas table is complete without satsivi.

Ingredients:

  • Chicken 1 pc.
  • Peeled walnuts 500 g
  • Bulb 4-5 pcs.
  • Garlic 1/2 head
  • cilantro 1 large bunch
  • White wine vinegar or pomegranate juice 1 tbsp. l.
  • Ground coriander 1 tbsp. l.
  • Ground Imeretian saffron 1 tbsp. l.
  • Ground cinnamon on the tip of a knife
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Butter for lubrication

Cooking method

  1. Boil the chicken. Strain the broth and let it cool. Finely chop the onion and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Finely chop the cilantro.
  2. Chop the nuts by running them through a meat grinder or using a food processor. Mix them with spices and chopped cilantro. Crush the clove buds, add to nut mix along with cinnamon. Dilute the nuts with a ladle of cooled broth until gruel. Rub the garlic with salt, add to the nuts and mix.
  3. Put the remaining broth (1.2-1.5 liters) back on the fire. When the broth boils, reduce the heat and, stirring constantly, gradually add the nut mass. Then bring the sauce to a boil, let it simmer for a few minutes. Add sautéed onion and slices boiled fillet chicken, let the dish boil again, add vinegar. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off, cover with a lid and let it brew. Satsivi can be served hot or cold with fresh shoti bread cooked in a special tone oven or with gomi (corn porridge).

Chakhokhbili is a hot fragrant chicken stew, moderately spicy, with a bright and rich taste, as it is cooked in own juice with minimal liquid addition. The name of this dish comes from the Georgian word "hohobi", which means "pheasant". But do not be upset if you do not have a carcass of freshly shot game in your refrigerator. Feel free to use chicken.

Ingredients:

  • Chicken 1.5-2 kg
  • Bulb 3-4 pcs.
  • Large tomatoes 4 pcs.
  • Tomato paste 2 tbsp. l.
  • Fresh hot pepper 1 pc.
  • Garlic 4-5 cloves
  • Adjika 1 tsp
  • cilantro 1 bunch
  • Utskho-suneli and coriander 3/4 tsp.
  • Vegetable eye oil

Cooking method

  1. We cut the chicken, cut into pieces. Finely chop the onion and sauté in a separate bowl until translucent. We spread the chicken in a saucepan with thick walls (preferably cast iron), add vegetable oil, salt and simmer over low heat under a lid for 20-30 minutes in its own juice. Add onion to chicken.
  2. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then add there tomato paste and simmer for a few more minutes. Adding tomato dressing to the chicken. If there is not enough liquid in the pan, you can add a little water.
  3. Cut half of the cilantro. Add adjika, cilantro, peeled and chopped hot peppers to chakhokhbili. Simmer the chicken for another 30-40 minutes. The chicken should literally disperse into fibers. Now add ucho-suneli, coriander and chopped garlic. Salt, add the remaining half a bunch of cilantro, mix, cover with a lid and turn off. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

Kharcho in translation means " beef soup". Thick, burning, spicy, rich, fragrant, spicy beef soup with nuts, tkemali plums, herbs and garlic. Initially, the recipe uses beef, but you can cook kharcho from lamb and chicken.

Cooking method

  • Beef brisket 1 kg
  • Walnuts 200 g
  • Rice 1 glass
  • Bulb 4-5 pcs.
  • cilantro 1 large bunch
  • Parsley 1 big bunch
  • Garlic 3-4 cloves
  • Hot pepper 1 pc.
  • Suneli hops, bay leaf to taste
  • Salt, freshly ground black and allspice to taste
  • Tklapi 2 pieces (10x10

Cooking method

  1. We cut the brisket, fill it with water, bring to a boil, remove the foam and cook for 1.5 hours. At this time, soak the tklapi in water in a small bowl.
  2. Coarsely chop the onion and sauté until translucent. We send the rice to the broth, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. At this time, chop the garlic, cut the hot pepper. Grind nuts with a knife or pass through a meat grinder.
  3. Mix pepper, nuts, garlic. Stir in a small amount of broth. We send the spicy nut mixture to the pan with the broth. We also add chopped greens. Then add tklapi (or 5-6 tablespoons of tkemali, or 1 can (450 grams) of mashed tomatoes), salt, pepper, bay leaf, let it boil for 10-15 minutes and turn it off.

"Bags" made of elastic thin dough with spicy and juicy meat filling. Do not offend Georgians by comparing them with our dumplings. And God forbid you use a fork and knife! Khinkali is eaten only with hands! We tilt the khinkali a little, bite the dough, drink the hot broth, making characteristic sounds, then add a simple garlic Sause(finely chopped garlic with water) or satsebeli and already enjoy the filling ... Leave the tail on a plate. By the number of such tails, the weakest eater is determined. Don't lose face!

Ingredients:

  • Wheat flour500 g
  • Water300 ml
  • Mixed minced meat (fatty pork + beef) 500 g
  • Bulb 2 large
  • Garlic 2-3 cloves
  • cilantro 1 bunch
  • Salt to taste

Cooking method

  1. First we prepare the minced meat. Add chopped onion and garlic to the meat. Then, little by little, we mix water into the minced meat: as much as the minced meat can take. For 500 grams of minced meat, we need about 100-150 milliliters of water. Then add finely chopped cilantro.
  2. Knead the dough from flour, salt and 150 grams of flour. Roll out the dough. Place 1 heaping tablespoon in the middle of each sheet of dough. minced meat(Before spreading, knead the minced meat again).
  3. We collect the edges of the dough with an accordion as tightly as possible. The more folds you get, the better. Ideally, there should be 19.
  4. We tear off the excess dough from above and put the khinkali on a cutting board, lightly sprinkled with flour. We lower the khinkali into boiling water (broth) and wait for them to emerge. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and take out. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle fresh. ground pepper.

Lilac glossy eggplant, pot-bellied red Bell pepper, juicy carrot, sugar tomatoes, onion, garlic, fragrant herbs and spices - all these colors and tastes are intertwined in one dish called ajapsandali. Vegetables for ajapsandali are stewed in a large cast iron cauldron without adding water, and it tastes especially good the next day.

Ingredients:

  • Eggplant 1 kg
  • Tomatoes500 g
  • Sweet pepper500 g
  • Onion 250 g
  • Carrot 250 g
  • Hot green pepper 1 pod
  • Garlic 1 head
  • cilantro, parsley, basil 1 bunch each
  • Utskho-suneli (hops-suneli) 2 tsp.
  • Imeretian saffron 1/2 tsp
  • Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Vegetable eye oil

Cooking method

  1. Cut the eggplant into 1.5 x 1.5 cm cubes. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. We wash and dry. Fry the eggplant in a frying pan vegetable oil. Postpone. In the same pan, fry the chopped onion until golden brown. Add carrots, grated on a coarse grater, strips of sweet pepper. Fry, stirring, 10 minutes.
  2. We remove the skin from the tomatoes (for this they can be dipped in boiling water for 30 seconds) and chop. Finely chop the garlic and add to the tomatoes. Mix eggplant and a mixture of onions, carrots and peppers. Add tomatoes and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Chop cilantro, parsley and basil. Add herbs and spices to the pot. Simmer another 10 minutes. Turn off and let cool covered for another 30 minutes.

In the first weeks of April, Tbilisi is covered with a whirlwind of snow-white petals. Tkemali and cherry plum blossoms, which grow here at every step. It will take just another couple of weeks, and small fruits with a bone that has not yet fully formed will appear on the branches. Sour plums with pronounced bitterness, young tarragon and young lamb are the essential ingredients of chakopuli. Traditionally, chakopuli is cooked on Easter and on the day of the celebration of Georgoba - the day of St. George, the patron saint of Georgia. But if you freeze young plums, you can arrange a holiday for yourself at any time of the year!

Ingredients:

  • Lamb 1 kg
    1. Cut the meat into small pieces, place in a saucepan. Grind greens, garlic, onion and divide in half. We send one half to the meat, add wine and half of the plums.
    2. We put the stewpan on a strong fire, after it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about 40-50 minutes. Add the remaining herbs, onions and plums, cover with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off and let stand for another 15 minutes.

    Satsebeli means "sauce" in Georgian. Traditional tomato sauce with the addition of cilantro, suneli hops and garlic, it is served with corn porridge, tobacco chicken, khinkali, shish kebab. But even if you don’t have all of the above on your table today, then break off a piece of fresh bread, dip it in satsebeli and enjoy the bright taste of the sunniest and most hospitable country. So ripe tomatoes remove the skin, after dousing them with boiling water. Cut and let stand for a while. During this time, the juice that we drain will stand out. Let the tomatoes simmer until they thicken a little.

  • Add chopped garlic, chopped hot peppers to the tomatoes. Grind the greens and add it to the tomatoes along with salt and spices. Boil for just a couple of minutes and turn off. Let stand covered for 30 minutes.

Georgian cuisine is something that you need to try more than once. They combine Transcaucasian traditions, customs of the Black Sea and Asia, have a bright taste and appetizing appearance.


Among the main features of Georgian cuisine are:

  • Delicious meat without limits. When cooking, they use both pork and lamb, as well as poultry, beef.
  • Soups without vegetables. Instead, a raw egg, spices and flour sauce are added to the broth during cooking.
  • An abundance of cheese. Each region of Georgia produces a separate type of cheese.
  • Sauces for every taste. They are served with all dishes and are prepared only from fresh products.

In order not to get lost among huge amount dishes national cuisine Georgia, find out what you should definitely try during your vacation in this country.

meat cuisine



famous dish Georgian cuisine. Nutritious and juicy Georgian dumplings are made from pork, beef or veal, less often from lamb. There is also a vegetarian option - they use it for the filling. boiled potatoes, mushrooms and cheese. Trying khinkali in different regions of Georgia is a must, because each region has its own recipe and cooking features.

The traditional list of ingredients for khinkali:



  • Wheat flour
  • Garlic
  • Salt and spices (cilantro, red pepper, ground cumin)

Meat and lard are passed through a meat grinder, finely chopped onions and garlic are added to the minced meat. Then it is poured with a small amount of water, mixed with spices.

To prepare the dough, flour is mixed with water and salt. Then it is rolled out as much as possible, often using special appliances that every Georgian housewife has in the kitchen.

The finished dough is cut into squares and put one on top of the other, each time sprinkling with flour (there should be at least 15 such layers). Minced meat is prepared in advance. It is placed in the center of the square, folding the edges of the dough with an accordion, as tightly as possible. This is the most difficult stage in the preparation of khinkali.

Georgian dumplings are cooked in small batches, 10-15 pieces for 7-10 minutes each. Then carefully take out and serve the dish on the table.

Georgians themselves usually sprinkle khinkali abundantly with black pepper, but spiciness is a feature of their cuisine. You don't have to.

Taste juicy meat filling in combination with tender dough justifies all the complexity of cooking.

A popular Georgian dish of meat and vegetables. Traditionally baked in clay pots. It is based on pork or lamb, potatoes, eggplant, onions, tomatoes, beans or peppers are used from vegetables. The recipe necessarily includes tomato juice and adjika, a few cloves of garlic and various spices.

The dish is prepared in a certain sequence, creating each layer with a new ingredient. Meat and vegetables are cut into cubes, greens and garlic are finely chopped. First, onions are poured into the pot, then potatoes, eggplant, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Each layer is smeared with adjika and sprinkled with spices.

To make the meat as tender and juicy as possible, it is laid out in pots last.

Next, the dish is poured tomato juice and sent to the oven. During cooking, the ingredients are mixed, creating unique taste. The dish is hearty and slightly spicy, has a pleasant aftertaste and is suitable for any meal at the Georgian feast.

Satsivi with chicken



The dish gives you the opportunity to enjoy the unique taste of baked poultry with a spicy Georgian walnut sauce. Usually the dish is served separately from the side dish, adding a little greenery, eaten with pita bread or flat cakes. main feature Satsivi is eaten cold.

How are they prepared?

First, the chicken is boiled. The broth is filtered, left for further dressing of the dish. The chicken is then baked until crispy. The bird is cut into pieces, separating the bones and meat.

To make the sauce, the walnuts are crushed until crumbly. Then they are mixed with spices, stewed onions and chopped cloves. The resulting mixture is poured chicken broth, beat in a blender, add pomegranate juice.

The consistency of the sauce is similar to sour cream.

At the end, the meat is put in a saucepan with sauce and put in the refrigerator.

Vegetarian dishes

Many national dishes of Georgian cuisine consist only of vegetables. The most popular in sunny Georgia are beans, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions.

There are many options and options for cooking this dish, depending on the region of the country and availability necessary products in the owner's kitchen. But traditionally, onion, garlic, cilantro and spices, such as cinnamon, adjika, coriander, are added to beans (the main ingredient).



Before you start cooking, the beans are soaked in cold water for 8-12 hours. Then it is boiled by adding chopped onions. During cooking, the beans become soft and get a savory taste.

Having made the fire a little quieter, the beans in the pan are partially kneaded so that one half of it is in the form of gruel, and the second remains intact. While stirring, sprinkle it with seasonings and salt. After that, the dish is sprinkled with chopped cilantro and chopped garlic. After 15-20 minutes, lobio is removed from the heat and allowed to brew a little.

Useful and unusual dish served with corn porridge, in Georgian it is called "gomi".

Lobio is one of those dishes of Georgian cuisine that you should definitely try.

Georgian soups



The most popular soup from the national dishes of Georgia. Spicy taste and unique spicy aroma will awaken the appetite of even the most demanding gourmet. Perhaps you decide that you have already tried kharcho before and you should not spend money on it on vacation. Nevertheless, this soup is worth trying in Georgia, at least for comparison. Believe me, not everything is so clear.

Real kharcho can only be tasted in Georgia. After all, it is here that tklapi is added to it - plum puree dried in the warm sun. It gives an unusual sourness to the dish, enriching its taste.

Traditionally, kharcho is made from beef. But cooks, both in the country itself and abroad, sometimes use chicken and lamb.

How to prepare the national Georgian soup?



First, the beef brisket is cut and boiled for 1.5-2 hours, while soaking the tklapi. Then rice is cooked in the resulting broth along with beef. Along the way, cut onions and hot peppers, pass nuts through a meat grinder.

After that, pepper, nuts and garlic should be mixed and added to the broth. Pour finely chopped greens there. All these ingredients are sent to the pan with the meat, which is seasoned with the remaining spices and tklapi. After 15 minutes, the kharcho soup is removed from the heat.



Soup, cooked almost without vegetables, this is its peculiarity. This is a fatty beef broth with herbs, spices and, of course, garlic. In many Georgian families, this national dish is eaten for breakfast. Delicious khashi energizes for the whole day. With such a composition - still!



Used for cooking beef legs, cut lengthwise into two parts. For one day they are kept in the kitchen in cold water, after which they are placed in a large pot and boiled without salt, removing the foam as it appears. When the meat is easily separated from the bones, proceed to the next step.

The boiled beef is cut into several pieces, salted, the broth is filtered, returned to a low fire. At this time, the garlic must be crushed, and the greens finely chopped. Then the ingredients are mixed with pieces of pita bread and added to the soup. In a few minutes, everyone can enjoy the appetizing national Georgian dish khash.

National desserts

churchkhela

National Georgian delicacy. For the manufacture of this useful and delicious sweets use different types nuts and badagi - special grape juice.

Churchkhela comes in a variety of colors and flavors, as each grape variety has its own characteristics. The delicacy is slightly viscous, pleasantly sweet and very soft.



To prepare this dessert of Georgian cuisine, use:

  • Grape juice
  • Nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds)
  • Wheat and corn flour

For a few minutes, the nuts are fried in a pan, then left to cool. After cleaning, they are strung on a thick thread and hung in a dry place where there is access to the sun.

To prepare grape jelly for this national delicacy, part of the juice is boiled over a quiet fire. At this time, flour is gradually added to the second (chilled) part, stirring thoroughly, avoiding the appearance of lumps. The resulting mixture is poured into boiling juice and boiled until gruel is formed.

Each thread with nuts is dipped in jelly and hung up. In two days, the delicious Georgian dessert is ready to eat.

Since the dish does not contain sugar and dyes, even small children can try churchkhela in Georgia.

Georgian pastries

Khachapuri



Insanely delicious and very popular cakes with viscous cheese, which have spread far beyond the borders of Georgia. When preparing them, they use a special “young” cheese - Imeretinsky. It differs from all other varieties in its unusual sour, but at the same time delicate taste.



Georgian khachapuri consists of:

  • yogurt
  • sour cream
  • salt and sugar
  • butter and soda

Before cooking, the butter is left to melt, and the cheese is left briefly in water to make it less salty. Salt and sugar are added to the matsoni, mixed and melted butter is poured in. Gradually adding flour, knead the dough.

Shredded or grated cheese is put in khachapuri. Also in the recipe you will find sour cream, a little butter and salt. All ingredients are mixed. Cakes are formed from the dough, inside of which they put cheese filling. Then spread in a pan and fry until a crust forms.

Before serving, khachapuri is smeared with butter. They are eaten with the hands, breaking off small pieces from the cake.

Experience all the features amazing taste You can have khachapuri not only in cafes, but simply on the streets of sunny Georgia.

And be prepared for the fact that portions in Georgia are very large - almost always it is enough to order one dish for two. So don't try too much in one meal.

Snacks of Georgian cuisine



Vegetables are at the heart of this appetizer. The most popular are pkhali made from mushrooms, beets, spinach and zucchini, green beans and cabbage. The consistency of the appetizer resembles a pate, it takes pride of place on the festive table.

Pkhali is prepared in two stages:

  • Vegetables are peeled and stewed until tender. Waiting for them to cool down.
  • Pass vegetables through a meat grinder along with the rest of the ingredients: onions, cilantro, garlic, walnuts and spices. They form meatballs, decorate.

Greens or pomegranate are often used to decorate pkhali. Soft and cooling snack goes well with lobio, hot cakes and national Georgian wines.

Sauces

Georgians are masters in making sauces, which are an integral part of Georgian cuisine.

Baje is an incredibly soft, fragrant sauce that soaks meat and fish, greatly enriching their taste. It is made from nuts and served cold.



In Georgia, for the preparation of bage, they use:

  • walnuts
  • cilantro
  • garlic
  • hops-suneli
  • vinegar
  • spices (saffron, pepper)

First, the nuts are crushed to form flour. Then cold boiled water, salt, vinegar and spices are added to them. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed, passed through a blender and put in the refrigerator.

Bage - universal sauce, which is suitable for both vegetables and meat dishes, it gives them a spicy taste and aroma.

National dishes of Georgian cuisine are a real delight for gourmets. Have a delicious trip!

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