With its Mongolian influences and slew of breads, the young country has much to offer
Georgia and khinkali are often uttered in the same breath. The country’s poster dish, khinkalis are essentially dumplings, and eating them sits right up there with strolling through the charming streets of the capital city, Tbilisi.
Popularly believed to have been introduced to the country by Mongol invaders in the 13th Century, khinkalis are like everything else in the country: familiar yet very unique. Situated along the ancient Silk Road, over centuries, traders, invaders and armies have all passed through Georgia, each shaping its rich history and culture, but perhaps their influences are most clearly reflected in its cuisine. Eating dumplings similar to xiaolongbao, popular hundreds of miles away in China, is a clear affirmation of this. Resembling a herbal potli often used in Ayurvedic massages, khinkalis are meant to be dusted with pepper and then eaten. Apart from minced beef and pork-stuffed khinkalis, vegetarians can choose from stuffings of mushrooms, potatoes and cheese.
Having gained independence as recently as 1991, when the former USSR broke up, Georgians are a fiercely proud lot, eager for the world to see their country’s immense natural beauty, taste their fabulous food, and partake in their customs and traditions.
Visitors are welcomed with open arms. We experienced this first-hand when our 80-year-old neighbour showed up one morning, holding a tray of glistening fried baby potatoes, luscious-looking tomatoes and a juicy cabbage salad. The previous night, we had agreed that she would give us eggs and bread for breakfast, but here she was with all this delicious-looking food.
I tried to tell her politely that all we wanted was the bread and eggs, but my lack of Georgian wasn’t helping, and Google translate didn’t do the trick either. I eventually just took it.
But she wasn’t done yet. She hurried back home and emerged holding a packet of khachapuri, a cheese-stuffed flaky paratha-like bread. Eaten with passion and gusto across the country, it’s considered a cardinal sin to eat one cold. When warmed, the cheese inside melts into delicious gooeyness.
By the baker
Our guide George took us to a 15th Century bakery, on a walking tour around Tbilisi. A handful of bakers were going about their business, putting batches of khachapuri into a clay oven, similar to a tandoor. Bread is integral here, and George said most people visit their neighbourhood bakeries for fresh bread every day.
While every region has their own version, in Tbilisi, lobiani, a khachapuristuffed with boiled and mashed kidney beans, is popular. The most indulgent and girth-widening version is the adjaruli khachapuri. Shaped like a boat, the doughy crust has an open centre that’s filled with molten sulguni cheese, a cracked egg, and a generous dollop of butter. The shape is an ode to the great boat builders from a town called Adjara on the Black Sea, from where the dish hails. The way to eat it, is to tear a piece of the bread and use it to mix the contents in the centre, and then scoop some of the calorie-filled stuffing up and into your mouth.
There’s lots on offer besides khachapuri, such as pkhali, badrijani nigvzit, and lobio. Apart from their tongue-twister names, all these dishes have one more thing in common — walnuts. Used to thicken gravies or as a binding agent, walnuts feature prominently across Georgian cuisine. The pkhali or pate-like dish, can vary with season, but is often made with cooked spinach, beetroot or cabbage, mixed with herbs and rolled into balls. Badrijani nigvzit, also a cold starter, is made from eggplants that are thinly sliced, shallow-fried and then filled with a silky garlic and walnut paste. Served in small earthen jars, lobio or stewed kidney beans can be eaten hot or cold, with pickled vegetables and a cornbread called mchadi. Ajapsandali, a stew made with potatoes, eggplants, onions and tomatoes, is similar to Indian curry in both texture and flavour.
For dessert, there’s always churchkhela, popularly referred to as Georgian snickers. They resembling oddly-shaped candles. Most people fall into two categories — those who love churchkhela or hate it. Strings of walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, are dipped into concentrated grape juice thickened with flour, and then left to dry. This process of dipping and drying is followed, until a thick coating covers the nuts. While stalls in Tbilisi abound with bunches of hanging churchkhela, back in the day, soldiers would rely on the protein from the nuts and the sugar from the grape juice, to keep them going.
The vast array of meat-free dishes available here is bewildering, but the reason for this is that a majority of the population is Orthodox Christian, who abstain from eating meat on religious holidays. With roughly 200 such days a year, vegetarian food is most certainly not an afterthought in Georgia.
