Khachapuri, khinkali, satsivi — wine, walnuts and the supra feast tradition of the Caucasus.
Georgian cuisine comes from the Caucasus crossroads between the Black Sea and the Silk Road, and it is organized around the supra — the ritual feast led by a toastmaster (tamada) where the table fills edge to edge. Its most exported dishes are khachapuri, the cheese-filled bread whose Adjarian version arrives as an open boat with a raw egg and butter stirred in at the table, and khinkali, twisted soup dumplings of spiced meat eaten by hand, broth first, topknot left on the plate.
The flavor signature is unique in the region: walnuts ground into sauces (satsivi for poultry, bazhe, and the spreads rolled into eggplant nigvziani badrijani), tkemali sour plum sauce, and the spice blend khmeli suneli built on blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), dried marigold, and coriander. Western Georgia — Samegrelo and Imereti — leans on corn (ghomi porridge, mchadi bread) and hotter adjika chili paste; the east favors wheat bread and meat from the tone clay oven.
Georgia also claims eight thousand years of winemaking in buried qvevri clay vessels, a UNESCO-listed method, and wine is inseparable from the food culture. Home cooks finish stews like chakhokhbili (chicken with tomatoes and herbs) with fistfuls of fresh coriander, tarragon, and purple basil, and preserve the harvest as churchkhela — walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice — and jars of adjika and tkemali.
Khachapuri
Cheese-filled breads in regional forms — circular Imeruli, double-cheese Megruli, and the egg-topped Adjarian boat.
Khinkali
Hand-twisted dumplings of peppered meat and broth, eaten by hand with the doughy topknot left behind on the plate.
Walnut sauces
Ground walnuts thicken satsivi, bazhe, and badrijani eggplant rolls, giving Georgian food its singular rich, tannic depth.
Khmeli suneli and blue fenugreek
The defining spice blend of blue fenugreek, dried marigold, and coriander seasons stews, sauces, and adjika.
Tkemali and adjika
Sour plum sauce and fermented chili-garlic paste — the two table condiments that sharpen meats, beans, and potatoes.
Supra and qvevri wine
The toastmaster-led feast and eight-millennia-old clay-vessel winemaking frame how Georgian food is actually eaten.
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Georgia's most iconic dish — a boat-shaped bread filled with bubbling melted sulguni cheese, topped with a raw egg and a knob of butter. Broken into strips and dipped.
Georgia's deeply fragrant braised chicken — pieces simmered in a tomato and onion sauce with fenugreek, coriander and blue fenugreek, finished with a shower of fresh herbs.
Georgia's hearty flatbread stuffed with spiced kidney beans and fried onions — baked until golden. The earthy, satisfying bread of Racha and Georgian mountain villages.
Georgia's most popular outdoor cooking tradition — chunks of pork neck marinated simply in onion and pomegranate juice, grilled over vine wood coals until charred outside and juicy within.
Georgian walnut and herb balls made from spinach, beetroot or green beans — a stunning mezze classic.
Georgian candle-shaped candy made from grape juice and walnuts — a traditional energy-dense snack.
Georgian spicy braised beef with tomatoes, herbs and a fiery kick from dried chillies.
Georgian spring lamb stew with tarragon, green plums, and herbs — the centrepiece of Easter celebrations.
Georgian bean-stuffed flatbread — a hearty, satisfying cousin of khachapuri filled with spiced kidney beans.
Hand-pleated Georgian dumplings filled with spiced meat broth — eaten by holding the topknot, biting carefully and slurping the soup inside.
Pan-fried chicken bathed in a sauce of milk and an enormous quantity of crushed garlic — Georgia's most extraordinary garlic dish.
Fried aubergine slices rolled around a savoury walnut-garlic-pomegranate filling — Georgia's most iconic vegetarian dish.
Spiced kidney bean stew with walnut, coriander and pomegranate — Georgia's national bean dish, served with cornbread.
Chicken in a thick, spiced walnut sauce with garlic, coriander and saffron — Georgia's iconic Christmas and New Year dish.
Georgia's everyday cornbread — pan-fried until the edges turn crisp and golden while the inside stays dense and tender. The daily bread of Imereti, always served with beans or cheese.
Round, sealed cheese-filled bread with a single slash on top — the everyday khachapuri of central Georgia.
Spatchcocked chicken pressed flat under a weight and pan-fried until impossibly crispy outside, juicy inside — Georgia's signature pressed chicken.
Pork and potatoes pan-fried with onions and peppers — Georgia's most beloved family-style dish, named for its purpose: shared.
String of walnuts dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice — Georgia's natural candy, traditionally made at autumn harvest.
Charred aubergine and pepper with walnuts, herbs, garlic and pomegranate — a smoky cold mezze for the Georgian feast table.
Boat-shaped Georgian cheese bread crowned with a molten egg yolk and butter — tear the crust, swirl it into the filling, and dip.
Twisted Georgian dumplings holding spiced meat and hot broth — pinch the topknot, sip the soup, eat the rest.
Georgia's beloved cheese boat — pillowy yeasted bread shaped into a vessel, filled with melted sulguni and imeruli cheese, and topped at the table with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter.
Georgian Market Lemon Herb Rice Bowl brings georgian flavor to a practical rice bowl built with chicken thighs, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Village Smoky Tomato Soup brings georgian flavor to a practical soup built with mushrooms, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Garden Sesame Lime Skillet brings georgian flavor to a practical skillet dinner built with cauliflower, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Harbor Charred Pepper Noodles brings georgian flavor to a practical noodle dish built with rice noodles, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Mountain Green Herb Salad brings georgian flavor to a practical salad built with grilled chicken, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Festival Lemon Herb Flatbread brings georgian flavor to a practical flatbread built with flatbread dough, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Homestyle Smoky Tomato Traybake brings georgian flavor to a practical traybake built with sweet potatoes, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Street Sesame Lime Fritters brings georgian flavor to a practical fritters built with salted fish, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Golden Charred Pepper Breakfast Plate brings georgian flavor to a practical breakfast plate built with beans, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Georgian Weeknight Green Herb Dessert brings georgian flavor to a practical dessert built with coconut, walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek and cheese, and a fresh cilantro finish.
Boat-shaped yeasted bread filled with molten cheese and topped with a raw egg yolk and butter, stirred together at the table.
Hand-twisted dumplings filled with spiced, juicy ground meat and broth, meant to be picked up by the topknot and slurped carefully.
A round, flat yeasted bread stuffed with a filling of tangy Imeretian cheese, baked until golden with a soft, cheesy interior.
Chicken pieces slow-braised with tomatoes, onions and a generous amount of fresh herbs until deeply savory, a beloved Georgian home-cooked dish.
A hearty, tangy beef soup thickened with rice and ground walnuts, spiced with fenugreek and a sour plum sauce called tkemali.
Red kidney beans slow-simmered with onions, walnuts and Georgian spices until thick and richly flavored, often served in individual clay pots.
Walnuts threaded on a string and repeatedly dipped in thickened grape juice paste until coated into a chewy, candle-shaped candy.
Cubed pork and potatoes pan-fried together with onions until crisp and browned, a hearty Georgian family dinner served sizzling.
Blanched spinach or other vegetables finely chopped and bound with ground walnuts, garlic and vinegar into a dense, savory spread.
Poached chicken served cold, coated in a rich, garlicky walnut sauce spiced with marigold and coriander, a classic Georgian New Year dish.
Chunks of marinated pork threaded onto skewers and grilled over open flame or hot coals, a beloved Georgian barbecue tradition.
Eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes braised together with garlic and herbs into a rich, hearty vegetable stew, a Georgian summer favorite.
Thin fried eggplant slices rolled around a garlicky ground walnut paste, garnished with pomegranate seeds, a beloved cold Georgian starter.
Dense yeasted bread stuffed with heavily spiced ground meat, baked until golden, a specialty from Georgia's mountainous Svaneti region.
Chicken pieces pan-fried until golden, then simmered in an intensely garlicky milk and cream sauce, a beloved dish from Racha, Georgia.
Grape leaves rolled around a spiced rice and ground meat filling, simmered gently and served with a tangy garlic-yogurt sauce.
A stretchy, cheese-laden cornmeal porridge from Georgia's Samegrelo region, stirred until it forms long, elastic cheese strings.
A tangy, garlicky sauce made from sour green or red plums, simmered with herbs, a staple condiment for grilled meats across Georgia.
A dense, cheese-studded cornmeal flatbread from Georgia's mountainous Svaneti region, pan-fried until golden and slightly crisp.
Saffron-tinted rice pilaf layered with lamb, carrots and dried fruit, finished with toasted walnuts and sesame for a Georgian take on plov.
Soft yeasted flatbread stuffed with a spiced, mashed red bean filling, the Georgian relative of khachapuri known as lobiani.
Coarsely ground pork mixed with pomegranate seeds, garlic and Georgian spices, shaped into patties and pan-seared, a home-style take on kupati sausage.
Red kidney beans simmered slowly with walnuts, tomato and coriander, the hearty everyday Georgian bean stew known as lobio.
Eggs poached directly into a bubbling, spicy tomato and pepper sauce, the rustic Georgian skillet dish known as chirbuli.
Thick, smooth cornmeal porridge simmered until spoonable, traditionally served alongside sulguni cheese, a staple from Georgia's western Samegrelo region.
Whole trout baked simply, then served with a rich walnut and pomegranate sauce, a Georgian pairing that balances freshwater fish with the country's iconic nut sauces.
Layers of boiled pasta sheets baked with butter and cheese into a rich, tender casserole, the indulgent Georgian pastry known as achma.
Chopped tomato and cucumber tossed in a tangy walnut and herb dressing, a fresh Georgian side salad that always appears at a supra table.
The rich, peppery broth that fills traditional khinkali dumplings, served here as a soup with mini dumplings simmered directly in the pot.
Chicken pieces simmered slowly in a thick, herb-heavy tomato sauce with garlic and coriander, the classic Georgian stew known as chakhokhbili.
Eggplant, pepper and tomato baked together with garlic and herbs, the hearty Georgian vegetable stew known as ajapsandali, finished under the broiler.
Walnut halves dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice and hung to dry, forming Georgia's iconic chewy candlestick-shaped candy, churchkhela.
Crisp cornmeal pancakes in the style of Georgian mchadi, pan-fried in butter and served with tangy sour cream.
A hearty Georgian-style bulgur bowl topped with roasted vegetables and a garlicky walnut sauce sweetened with honey.
A garlicky saffron rice pilaf studded with shrimp, inspired by Georgian rice pilafs (plovi) served along the Black Sea coast.
A warming Georgian red lentil soup bowl brightened with lime and a garlicky herb topping, served over rice.
Bell peppers filled with a garlicky walnut and herb mixture, a cold Georgian appetizer style adapted into a full plate.
A rich, layered Georgian cheese casserole built from pasta sheets, melted sulguni-style cheese and a garlicky butter finish.
A juicy spiced beef and pork burger inspired by Georgian kebabi, grilled and served with a sharp onion and herb topping.
A stretchy, garlicky cornmeal pudding in the style of Georgian elarji, made with cheese melted directly into the polenta.
A festive Georgian-style roast chicken plate finished with a spicy garlic sauce, served with rice and fresh herbs.
Georgian cuisine is known for khachapuri cheese breads, khinkali soup dumplings, walnut-based sauces like satsivi, sour plum tkemali, and herb-loaded stews such as chakhokhbili. It is also famous for the supra feast tradition led by a toastmaster and for qvevri winemaking, an eight-thousand-year-old clay-vessel method recognized by UNESCO.
Pick the dumpling up by its doughy topknot with your fingers — never a fork, which spills the broth. Bite a small hole in the side, sip out the hot broth, then eat the rest, seasoning with black pepper. The thick topknot is left on the plate; traditionally it serves as a count of how many you have eaten. Cutlery is considered a beginner's mistake.
Mostly no, with one regional exception. Eastern Georgian cooking is aromatic — blue fenugreek, coriander, marigold, fresh tarragon and basil — with little heat. Western regions like Samegrelo use adjika, a fermented red chili-garlic paste, and dishes there can be genuinely hot. At most tables, heat is a condiment choice: adjika and tkemali sit alongside the food rather than inside it.
Imeruli khachapuri is the most forgiving start: a soft yogurt-based dough filled with a salted cheese mix (mozzarella plus feta approximates Imeretian cheese) and pan-baked. Chakhokhbili — chicken braised with tomatoes, onions, and a final shower of coriander and basil — is the easiest stew. Lobio, stewed kidney beans with walnuts and herbs, is a strong vegetarian option.
Khachapuri is Georgia's cheese-filled bread, traditionally made with brined Imeretian or sulguni cheese. Imeruli is a closed round with cheese inside; Megruli adds a second cheese layer on top; Adjaruli (Adjarian) is an open boat finished with a raw egg yolk and butter, stirred into the molten cheese at the table and eaten by tearing off the crust to dip.
