Why Georgian Food is Worth Travelling For

Georgian cuisine is a revelation for most visitors. It sits at a unique crossroads of influences — Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian — yet is entirely its own thing. Rich with walnut sauces, aromatic herbs, fresh cheeses, and slow-cooked meats, it's a food culture that rewards adventurous eaters and comfort-seekers alike. The good news? Almost everything is delicious.

The Essentials: Dishes You Must Try

Khachapuri

Khachapuri is Georgia's national dish and comes in several regional varieties. The most famous is Adjarian khachapuri — a boat-shaped bread filled with melted sulguni cheese, topped with a raw egg and a knob of butter. You mix it all together and tear in the bread crust. It's indulgent, satisfying, and utterly addictive. Imeruli khachapuri (a round, flatter version) is simpler and equally good.

Khinkali

Khinkali are Georgian soup dumplings — thick-doughed parcels filled with spiced meat (traditionally pork and beef), herbs, and hot broth. The technique for eating them is important: hold by the top knot, bite a small hole, sip the broth first, then eat. The top knot is left on your plate — locals count how many you eat by the knots. Never cut them with a knife.

Pkhali

Pkhali are cold vegetable appetisers made from spinach, beet, or green bean, ground with walnuts, garlic, and spices, then shaped into small balls. They're a staple of any Georgian feast (supra) and are a brilliant vegetarian option.

Mtsvadi

Georgian skewered meat (mtsvadi) is a whole tradition. Pork, beef, or lamb is marinated simply and grilled over vine wood embers. You'll smell it from streets across Georgia. It's served with tkemali (sour plum sauce) or pomegranate seeds.

Lobiani and Lobio

Beans are central to Georgian cooking. Lobiani is a flatbread stuffed with spiced beans, while lobio is a slow-cooked bean stew served in a clay pot, often accompanied by cornbread (mchadi). Both are hearty, warming, and deeply satisfying.

The Role of Walnuts in Georgian Cooking

Walnuts appear throughout Georgian cuisine in ways that will surprise you. Ground walnut paste — combined with garlic, coriander, and fenugreek — forms the base of sauces like satsivi (cold poultry in walnut sauce) and bazhe. They're stuffed into vegetables, pressed into pkhali balls, and sprinkled across salads. If you have a nut allergy, always ask before ordering.

The Georgian Table: Understanding the Supra

A supra is a traditional Georgian feast — one of the most important cultural institutions in the country. Food arrives in abundance: dozens of cold dishes first (pkhali, salads, cheese, bread), then hot dishes, then grilled meats. A tamada (toastmaster) leads increasingly elaborate toasts throughout. Being invited to a family supra is an extraordinary honour and a genuine insight into Georgian values of hospitality, family, and friendship.

Vegetarian and Vegan Options

Georgia has a rich tradition of Lenten cooking from its Orthodox Christian heritage, meaning meat-free dishes are plentiful. Pkhali, lobio, vegetable stews, bean breads, and many salads are naturally vegan. However, cheese and eggs feature heavily — and some dishes described as vegetarian may contain meat-based stock — so it's worth asking.

Where to Eat Like a Local

  • Local canteens (stolovaya): Cafeteria-style eateries where you point and pay. Cheap, honest, delicious.
  • Family guesthouses: Across rural Georgia, guesthouse dinners are often the best meals you'll eat — home-cooked and generous.
  • Markets: Tbilisi's Deserter's Market and Kutaisi's Central Market are ideal for fresh produce, churchkhela (walnut-grape candy), and local cheeses.

Georgian food is not just sustenance — it's a social act, a form of hospitality, and a source of genuine national pride. Come hungry, and come ready to linger at the table.