Flavorful dishes, homemade bread, and plenty of wine are essential at the Georgian dinner table. Influenced by both European and West Asian traditions, Georgian food, filled aromatic herbs and spices, plays an important role in social culture. Here are a few of the most characteristic dishes of a Georgian meal.

Georgian Dishes

Khachapuri

This traditional Georgian bread is stuffed with a mixture of eggs, various cheeses, and herbs.  This mixture is cooked until the cheese inside of the bread has melted to form a delicious filling.  Khachapuri is a staple of most Georgian meals.

Khinkali 

Dumplings—Georgian style!  Fillings for Khinkali can include meat, vegetables, potatoes, and cheese.

Suluguni

Love it or hate it—this sour, pickled cheese is something you have to try during your stay in Georgia.  It has a salty, savory taste, and is often deep fried to mask its strong odor.

Georgian Desserts

Georgian sweets and desserts tend to be based around nuts or fruit.  Various nuts, fruits, and sometimes honey, are combined in different ways to create these delicious treats.

Churchkhela 

This dessert is popular in many countries in the region, including Turkey, Greece, and Russia.  It is made by dipping a string of nuts, which can include walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, into a thick, sweet paste made of grapes.

Tapluna (Pakhlava)

This nut-based dessert resembled the famous Turkish dessert, Baklava.  It contains many layers of nuts, and has a sweet, pastry-like texture and taste.

Karalioki

Karalioki–Persimmons–grow in abundance in Georgia.  Whether eaten fresh or dried, this sweet, juicy fruit is perfect as a snack or as an after dinner treat.

Georgian Wine

The Republic of Georgia produces a huge variety of delicious wines—a fact which the Georgian people take great pride in.  Whether the wines are made in one of the country’s many wineries, or in a backyard, they are flavorful—and plentiful!

Georgian Supra

If you find yourself in Georgia, and are looking for the chance to try some—or all—of these mouth-watering dishes, don’t worry.  You will no doubt be invited to a traditional Georgian feast, known as a Supra.  Food, wine, and desserts are served in abundance at these feasts, and you will be able to fill up on all of the traditional Georgian dishes described above, plus plenty of others. 

To find out more about the Republic of Georgia, and about our teaching programs there, check out our Teach English in Georgia page.

A special thanks to Pete Johnson, a Reach to Teach teacher in Georgia, for providing many of the photos in this post.