Georgian Cuisine

Nobody forgets Georgia's unique cuisine. Born of a landscape rich in alluvial minerals washed down from the mountains, the vegetables, fruits, meats and cheeses have spawned a very individual culture of food. Much is still organic, and the ingredients of Georgia's varied cuisine profit from the mild climate that provides fresh vegetables for three quarters of the year. Numerous aromatic wild herbs give the dishes their special and unique aroma. Each part of Georgia has its unique cuisine with its special flavor. Georgian national cuisine is remarkable for an abundance of different dishes ( various kinds of meat, fish and vegetables, several sorts of cheese, pickles). Among these very often served dishes are: roast suckling pig, beef and chicken grilled or casseroled in various sauces, Khachapuri, consisting of layers of flat bread alternated with melting cheese; Tkemali- the several kinds of delicious sour plum sauces born of Georgia’s popular Tkemali tree; Baje- a rich garlic and creamed walnut sauce, Pkhali, the generic term for numerous vegetable pates made with ground walnuts, Khinkali, the famous dough pockets filled with meat, Satsivi, chicken in walnut sauce, Mtsvadi, meat grilled to perfection over a vine-wood fire, Ajika, the devil's own spicy, Churchkhela – hazel and walnuts stung together in a thickened wine sauce. All these have their tastes refined and heightened by Georgia's unique selection of white and red wines. Georgian cuisine uses very common products but due to varying proportions of its obligatory ingredients such as walnut, aromatic herbs, garlic, vinegar, red pepper, barberries and other spices combined with the traditional secrets of the chef’s art these familiar products acquire a special taste and aroma, which make Georgian cuisine very popular and unique.

Georgian Wine

Archaeological research provides evidence of viniculture as far back as 7000 years in the Caucasus region. Stone wine presses and clay containers have been found dating from the third millennium BC, and wine leaves and stems have been found in Bronze Age tombs. Wine is absolutely central to the Georgian lifestyle and to their-image. Many say that the generic word 'wine' stems from the Georgian word 'gvino.' Certainly Georgia has many more original varieties of grape than any other country - over 500. Georgia's moderate climate and moist air, influenced by the Black Sea, provide the best conditions for wine culturing. Both red and white wine are produced in Georgia. There is a big choice of dry and semi-dry wines: Tsinandali, Gurdzhaani, Rkatsiteli, Tibaani, Manavis Mtsvane, Vazisubani, Old Tbilisi and others. Rkatsiteli (pronounced "Katsitelli") creates a robust white wine, which is full of character. Mtsvane is popular as a blending partner for Rkatsiteli; the red variety Saperavi provides wines, which are powerful and fiery, with an aroma consisting of plums, spices and almonds. In the Kachetien regions of Kindzmaraulli, Khvanchkara, Mukuzani and Akhasheni it also acquires a naturally cultivated sweetness. Central European varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon occasionally crop up in the assortments. Most families make their own, strong wine in “kvevri”, large sealed clay vessels, buried in the ground up to their necks and kept in wine vaults called 'marani', these are then sealed and left for three to four months. This technique has a long tradition and is still being used today. Thus, a wine rich in tannine and vitamins matures.