Georgia might be a tiny nation of just under 4 million people, but this small country has one of the most impressive cuisines I’ve ever encountered on all my travels. Located on the edges of both Europe and Asia, Georgia’s culinary traditions draw on both East and West. You can gorge on juicy khinkali (a type of dumpling stuffed with meat or cheese), tear into hearty stuffed types of bread named khachapuri, and slurp up bean, beef, and chicken stews.
Georgia is also the birthplace of wine, with a winemaking tradition stretching back some 8,000 years. Expect an overload of drinking and eating, especially if you’re invited to a supra, the traditional Georgian feast. Supras are always led by a tamada (a toastmaster) who leads the toasts and encourages everyone around the table to eat and drink until they can do neither anymore.
With so many things to eat, you might not know where to begin. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of my favorite Georgian foods for you. Try these delectable Georgian dishes, and there’s no doubt you’ll have an amazing time eating your way around this exciting culinary destination!
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13 Traditional Georgian Dishes to Try!
1. Khinkali
One of my favorite traditional Georgian dishes is khinkali. These large dumpling-like parcels of deliciousness are beloved across the country, and there’s no chance you’ll leave Georgia without trying them.
The traditional style of khinkali consists of a mixture of minced meat, onions, salt and pepper, and herbs like parsley rolled in balls of pastry and boiled until soft. You’ll increasingly find mushrooms, cheese, and potato khinkali too. The pastry is always twisted at the top to not only seal in the ingredients but to provide a convenient “handle” for eating with your hands.
Khinkali etiquette is important in Georgia. You should never eat it with a knife and fork, as this causes the juice to spill out. Instead, grasp the khinkali by its handle and slurp up all the juices as you bite into the dumpling. You can then keep the handle on your plate, so you can see how many khinkhali you’ve eaten through the night (most restaurants have a minimum order of five or so).
2. Adjaruli Khachapuri
Adjaruli khachapuri could be the most famous Georgian food you’ll find. This outrageous type of khachapuri – the blanket term for different types of stuffed bread that vary from region to region – is shaped like a boat and filled with a heart-attack-inducing mixture of eggs, butter, and cheese.
Originating in Adjara, Georgia’s southwestern, Black Sea province, Adjaruli khachapuri is always served fresh from the oven with crispy sides that snap off with ease. Like khinkhali, etiquette is important, and you should break off a chunk of the bread, use it to mix the egg into the cheese and butter, and then dig in with your hands.
3. Imeretian Khachapuri
The Imeretian khachapuri is yet another popular Georgian food. This type of khachapuri originated in the Imereti region (which is the central area of Georgia, focused around Kutaisi), but like its hearty cousin (Adjaruli khachapuri), it’s now baked all over the country and is a staple of Georgian cuisine.
The Imeretian khachapuri is circular, and while tourists often like to think of it as “Georgian pizza,” it’s not quite the same. This khachapuri is stuffed with cheese (usually salty Imeretian-style cheese) and folded over before being baked and sliced into easy-to-eat triangles (which, admittedly, is kind of like a pizza).
4. Lobio
If you’re a vegetarian wondering which Georgian dishes you can eat, then one of my top recommendations is lobio, a popular Georgian food you’ll always find on the menu. Lobio is a kidney bean stew, and in restaurants, it’s always served in a clay pot, which is the traditional way for the dish to be cooked.
Different chefs will prepare lobio to different consistencies, and I personally prefer the thicker, more stew-like varieties rather than the thinner, soupier versions. I love the blend of spices, such as coriander and chili, that mix with the kidney beans, and of course, it’s the perfect dish to mop up with Georgian bread at the end of a meal.
5. Shkmeruli
When I used to eat meat, I used to love shkmeruli. A very traditional Georgian food, this dish consists of chicken cooked in a wonderful garlic sauce.
First off, the chicken is browned in a frying pan. A creamy, super-garlicky sauce is prepared on the side before the two are combined for a little spot of oven baking. The chicken is then doused in any leftover garlic sauce before being served in a clay dish.
Like many Georgian dishes, this is one dish that’s best cooked in a Georgian family home – it’s a hearty comfort food that everyone knows how to make.
6. Pkhali
In Georgia, it’s popular to start a meal with phkali, which consists of minced vegetables mixed with a walnut paste, onions, and herbs. Once combined, the mixture is rolled into large balls, which are left to set before being garnished with pomegranates and served. The vegetable itself can vary, often depending on the season, but you’ll typically find beetroot and spinach are Georgian favorites.
Order a sharing plate of phkali and it will often be served with rolled eggplant, stuffed with walnut paste, and also garnished with pomegranates. If you’re looking to sample as many traditional Georgian dishes as possible, I can’t think of a better way to start a feast!
7. Kharcho
Kharcho is the best Georgian food for a hangover cure, and if you’ve spent the day before feasting and drinking at a supra (where copious quantities of wine and chacha, a fierce homemade spirit, are always consumed), then you’ll need it.
Kharcho is a fantastically hearty soup prepared using a base of tkemali, which is a thick plum sauce. Popular meats include lamb or beef, and kharcho is always served with thick bread to mop up the soup juices left over at the end.
8. Ostri
Another type of stew that’s a staple of Georgian cuisine is ostri. Thick and hearty, ostri is prepared with a base of tomatoes, peppers, and chili, before being slow-cooked until the meat is super tender.
Ostri is best when it’s prepared with beef to really bring out those meaty flavors. Increasingly though, you’ll find vegetarian versions, which are similar to a ragout or veggie stew. Again, mop up those juices with a big chunk of bread!
9. Ojakhuri
Order ojakhuri in a restaurant and you’ll be served a sizzling plate of pork, garnished with onions and potatoes. Restaurant-style ojakhuri will be grilled to perfection, and you’ll love the crackling and juices that spill onto the plate.
This Georgian food makes a fantastic beer snack, and I’d recommend ordering it when you’re enjoying a few drinks. Interestingly though, ojakhuri means “family meal” in Georgian, and traditionally, the dish doesn’t have to involve pork at all but could consist of mushrooms, potatoes, onions, and any other meats and vegetables in the home.
10. Lobiani
Another amazing type of Georgian khachapuri is lobiani. Circular in shape, this thick khachapuri is stuffed with a bean paste. The bean paste is prepared using kidney beans (like lobio, the other bean-based dish I also love), which has a similar texture and consistency to refried beans.
The dough is packed with the bean paste, folded over, and baked in an oven. It’s best served hot, but I also find that lobiani (and other types of khachapuri) are great to take on long bus journeys or hikes, as you can always eat them cold.
11. Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Simple, but beautiful, no Georgian meal is complete without the ubiquitous cucumber and tomato salad. It might sound like an easy recipe to prepare, but you’ll need to get the ratio of cucumber to tomato just right, and that’s a task best left to the professionals.
Of course, the salad is more than its two namesake ingredients, and you’ll find the dish typically includes onions, as well as herbs like coriander and parsley. You’ll always be asked if you want your cucumber and tomato salad served with walnuts. Just say yes (as long as you don’t have a nut allergy). You won’t regret the addition of the fantastic walnut-based paste that’s so popular in Georgian cuisine!
12. Mtsvadi
If you’re a big meat eater, then you’ll love mtsvadi, which is best described as the Georgian kebab. Consisting of skewers of meat – usually pork – this traditional Georgian food is very similar to other regional dishes like shashlik (which you find all over the former Soviet Union) and Turkish kebabs.
Mtsvadi is simple to prepare, and the meat is chopped, skewered, and then seasoned with pomegranate juice before being grilled over hot coals. It’s best served with a garnish of onions and a cucumber, tomato, and walnut salad.
13. Kubdari
If you’re heading into the remote mountains of Svaneti – which is located high above the rest of Georgia, on the mountainous border with Russia – then you’ll love digging into kubdari.
The national dish of the Svan people, kudbari consists of dough stuffed with various meats (including beef or lamb) and herbs. The dough is placed in the oven and baked until it’s risen, creating a deliciously juicy and filling type of bread that’s perfect for long hikes in the mountains.
While you’re in Svaneti, you might also want to try the delicious hearty mashed potato dish that’s mixed with salty sulguni cheese. The two complement each other particularly well!
