Kitchens of the world - Georgia

As locals often like to "boast", everything grows in Georgia except bananas and pineapples. That's why their cuisine is so diverse, and the most important thing is that the ingredients are fresh. The central ingredient is all kinds of meat, and they also use a lot of spices, vegetables, sauces, cheeses and nuts. The rule is that there should always be wine, raw pita-khachapuri and salt on the Georgian table. Georgia is the birthplace of wine, which is produced in a special way in clay amphorae and is known all over the world. Georgians have great respect for wine and never drink it without a toast. Clay in general plays an important role in Georgian cuisine and many traditional dishes are made in pure red clay. When cooking, the rule is strictly followed that clay should not come into contact with metal, so such dishes are served with a wooden spoon.

Appetizer, soup and main course on the table at the same time

When a guest is invited to a Georgian table, the first thing that comes to the table is a raw pie called khachapuri. This is a strong dish with lots of slightly salty young cow's cheese. The right dough for khachapuri must necessarily contain Georgian sour milk, which ensures a delicate taste and a soft structure of the cheese pie. Another characteristic of khachapuri is that it tastes so good only fresh, but if it stands for a while, it loses all its charm. Thus, in Georgia they have a custom, when families visit, the female part first goes to the kitchen to prepare a cheese pie. Then the Georgian table is covered with everything possible. According to Tomazi Nozadze, the owner of a Georgian restaurant in Ljubljana, in Georgia they do not know appetizers and main dishes, but it is customary to cover the table with all the delicacies, and let the guest decide for himself what and how to eat.

The central role belongs to meat

And not for any special meat, because in the kitchen they create with poultry, beef, pork and mutton. One of the most typical meat dishes is odzhahuri, pork with potatoes baked in a clay pot. Sacivi has a special status - turkey meat in walnut sauce, which must be marinated for 24 hours, and pieces of chicken or turkey in tomato sauce (ti hakhokhbili) are also popular. Mtsvadi he is georgian shish kebab, which is characterized by a special aroma and juiciness, and is prepared mostly from beef. Khinkali, on the other hand, are Georgian meat fritters, where it is believed that they are eaten whole, as this is the only way to get the expression "soup" inside. Even if the meat plays a central role, a lot of spices and vegetables are used in addition to it, among which the most prominent ones are beans, tomatoes, eggplants, beetroot and cabbage.

You can't do without herbs, spices and sauces

Sauces are a recognizable part of Georgian cuisine and are based on two bases - fruit-based and nut-based. In the first, the basic ingredient is fruit pieces, from pomegranate to strawberries and blueberries, which are cooked with special spices and vinegar. Another basis for sauces are nuts, and the absolute winner of the Georgian table is the walnut. The sauce can also be a stand-alone dish served with Georgian bread called lavash. In addition to sauces (and other dishes), there are a variety of spices and herbs that are used in Georgia in all dishes, from breakfast to dinner. As a rule, the sauce must contain tarragon, fennel, parsley, coriander, basil and mint, and cinnamon, garlic, cloves, saffron and pepper are no less popular.

Varied and varied. Georgians would only say gamost! (Bon Appetit).

 Typical ingredients of Georgian cuisine:

• Meat- they use all kinds of meat, from poultry, pork, beef to mutton.

 

• Vegetables - they use fresh ingredients, so the type of vegetables depends on the season. Beans, tomatoes, eggplant, beetroot, cabbage are most often used.

 

• Spices- have a special status in Georgian cuisine and it is said that a good Georgian chef never betrays his spice mix. They use salt, tarragon, fennel, parsley, coriander, basil, mint, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, saffron, red pepper and cloves the most.

 

• Nuts - nuts, among which walnut is the most used, are used in soups, sauces, main dishes, salads and desserts in Georgian cuisine.

 

• Cheese - Georgians use a lot of cheese in the traditional Georgian cheese pie - khachapuri. It is usually a young, slightly salty cow's cheese.

 

• Wine in Georgia does not often go with food, so it is mandatory with food, especially when socializing. Georgian wine is known all over the world and highly respected by Georgians, who believe that it restores spiritual balance.