Georgian cuisine

Baklava (, or ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with either syrup or honey.

Shawarma (; ) is a Middle Eastern dish that originated during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, it may also be made with chicken, turkey meat, beef, falafel or veal. The surface of the rotisserie meat is routinely shaved off once it cooks and is ready to be served. Shawarma is a popular street food throughout the Arab world, Israel and the Greater Middle East.

upright=1.2|thumb|Modern ceramic wood-fired tandoors

Dolma is a family of stuffed dishes largely associated with Ottoman cuisine. It mainly includes vegetables and leaves, and occasionally seafood, offal, fruits, and meats, that are hollowed out or wrapped, then filled with a mixture of rice, minced meat, herbs, and spices. The leaf-wrapped type can be specifically known as sarma, but colloquially dolma is used for both.

Shashlik, or shashlyck ( shashlyk ), is a dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat, similar to or synonymous with shish kebab. It is known traditionally by various other names in the Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and from the 19th century became popular as shashlik across much of the Russian Empire and nowadays in former Soviet Union republics.

Khachapuri (; ) is a Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise, molded into various shapes, and then filled in the center with a mixture of cheese (fresh or aged, most commonly, specialized khachapuri cheese), and sometimes eggs or other ingredients.

culinary traditions of Georgia in Eastern Europe; cooking traditions, techniques, and practices of the Georgian people

Khinkali () is a dumpling in Georgian cuisine. It is made of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat, fish or vegetables and spices. Khinkali originate in the mountainous regions of eastern Georgia. The invention of the dish is credited to the Mokhevians, as well as the Pshavians, Mtiuletians, and Khevsurians. Traditionally, khinkali are made with coarsely chopped meat. In the mountain areas, this method of preparation is still used.

Pierogi ( ; , ) are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a filling and cooking in boiling water. They are occasionally flavored with a savory or sweet garnish. Typical fillings include potato and twaróg cheese, sauerkraut, ground meat, mushrooms, fruits, or berries. Savory pierogi are often served with a topping of sour cream, fried onions, or both.

Churchkhela (; ) is a traditional Georgian candle-shaped brittle confection. The main ingredients of are grape must, nuts, and flour. The traditional technology of in the Kakheti region was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015. ==History== thumb|left|170px|Churchkhela making process; before and after dipping of nuts in grape juice. Georgians usually make in autumn when the primary ingredients, grapes and nuts, are harvested. It is a string of walnut halves that have been dipped in grape juice called or (grape juice thickened with flour), and dried in the sun. N

Sujuk, sugou or sucuk (/suːˈd͡ʒʊk/) is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Anatolian, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly used in Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Ajika () is a flavored sauce or dip made mainly in the Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia and the region of Mingrelia. It is often used to flavor food. Ajika is primarily capsicum-based and usually includes other spices such as coriander or utskho suneli. Common varieties of ajika resemble Italian red pesto in appearance and consistency, although a dry version also exists. Though it is usually red, green ajika is also made with unripe peppers.

Solyanka (; initially selyanka; , ) is a thick and sour soup of Russian origin. It is a common dish in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, and other post-Soviet states and other parts of the former Eastern Bloc. It was one of the most reliably available dishes in East Germany ().

type of alcoholic beverage

Chorba, ( ; ) shorwa, shurba, shurpa, shurbah or shorba ( ) is a broad class of stews or rich soups found in national cuisines across North Africa, The Middle East, Iran, Turkey, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, East Africa and South Asia. It is often prepared with added ingredients but is also served alone as a broth or with bread.

type of food

species of plant

Tkemali () is a Georgian sauce primarily made of cherry plum; alucha plum and red-leaf plum are also common plum species used to make Tkemali in Georgia. While the sauce is typically red, both red and green varieties of these plums may be used.

Lobio () is a traditional Georgian dish of various kinds of prepared beans (cooked or stewed), also containing coriander, walnuts, garlic and onion. There are many varieties of lobio, both hot and cold.

Satsivi (, ; also known as chicken in walnut sauce) is a Georgian dish. It is made using poultry (such as chicken or turkey) put into a walnut sauce, typically seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, fenugreek, coriander and cinnamon. The term satsivi is also used as a generic name for a variety of poultry made with the walnut sauce.

cabbage, vine leaf, or other leaf roll

Suluguni ( Suluguni, suluguni; selegini) is a brined Georgian cheese from the Samegrelo region. It has a sour, moderately salty flavor, a dimpled texture, and an elastic consistency; these attributes are the result of the process used, as is the source of its nickname "pickled cheese". Its color ranges from white to pale yellow. Suluguni is often deep-fried, which masks its odor. It is often served in wedges. Suluguni has been protected as a geographical indication by Georgia since 24 January 2012.

Matzoon (, matsun, or ) or matsoni (, ''mats'oni'') is a fermented milk product of Armenian origin found in Armenia and Georgia. The Caspian Sea yogurt commercialized in Japan is said to be the same type of yogurt as matzoon, but a comparison of microbiota and viscosity found that the two are entirely different. Georgian matsoni has been a protected geographical indication in Georgia since 24 January 2012.

Ajapsandali ( ) or ajapsandal ( ) is a traditional Georgian and Armenian dish, also popular in the Northern Caucasus.

Georgian food

species of plant

Shotis puri or simply shoti () is a type of traditional Georgian bread, made of white flour and shaped like a canoe. Shoti is baked in a specific bakery called tone or torne/turne (old Georgian). The word is cognate with tandoor. The bread is served as any other bread, but it tends to be more popular on special celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, and New Year's Day, as well as birthdays and weddings. It gets its distinctive shape from the method of cooking, as long strands of dough are stuck to the inside of a traditional round well-shaped brick or clay oven.

thumb|300px|The sculpture of a man holding a Drinking horn|horn in [[Tbilisi modeled on an ancient Colchian statuette affectionately monikered as "tamada".]]

traditional Georgian spice mix

Gozinaki (, ) is a traditional Georgian brittle confection made of caramelized nuts, usually walnuts, and fried in honey. In the western Georgian provinces of Imereti and Racha, it was sometimes called "churchkhela", a name more commonly applied to walnuts sewn onto a string, dipped in thickened white grape juice and dried. In several of Georgia's rural areas, both walnuts and honey used to have sacral associations. According to a long-established tradition, Gozinaki is served at special occasions, and is a mandatory component of New Year's Eve and Christmas celebrations.

Chanakhi () is a traditional Georgian dish of lamb stew with tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, greens, and garlic.

Chakhokhbili (, ) is a traditional Georgian

Kupati (, ) is a type of Georgian sausage that is made from ground pork, intestines or chitterlings, pepper, onions. It is popular in the Caucasus region.

thumb|alt=Cheese dish in a copper pan|Kuymak in a sahan Kuymak or khavitz () is a dish popular in the Black Sea region that lies in northern Turkey. Its primary ingredients are cornmeal and cheese. It is typically served with bread and a spoon.

Kubdari or kubed (, Svan: კუბედ) is a Georgian filled bread dish which is particularly a national dish of the Svans. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise. The filling contains chunks of meat, which can be lamb, kid or pork, Georgian spices and onions. Kubdari was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list in 2015.

Chakapuli () is a Georgian stew. It is considered to be one of the most popular dishes in Georgia.

chicken dish

Chashushuli (Georgian: ჩაშუშული - "stew") is a dish of Georgian cuisine. The meat (veal in the original recipe) is fried and then stewed with tomatoes. One of the main meat dishes of Georgian cuisine, it is less known outside Georgia than, for example, Satsivi or Chakhokhbili.

Mchadi () is a traditional Georgian cornbread traditionally eaten with lobio and/or cheese. It is common in Imereti. It is made by combining cornmeal and water into a patty and then frying it.

Pkhali () is a traditional Georgian dish of chopped and minced vegetables, made of cabbage, eggplant, spinach, beans, beets and combined with ground walnuts, vinegar, onions, garlic, and herbs. Pkhali is also called mkhali. The common ingredient of all variations of pkhali is puréed walnut sauce. In Georgian restaurants, pkhali is usually served in three types: spinach, beetroot and white beans.

Shkmeruli () is a traditional Georgian dish of chicken, fried and then cooked over low heat in garlic sauce for 20–25 minutes.

Satsebeli (, ) is a thin spicy Georgian sauce made of tomato, garlic, vinegar, pepper, khmeli suneli (a traditional Georgian herb mixture), water and spicy ajika chili paste.

Lobiani () is a traditional Georgian dish of bean-filled bread. In Georgia the most popular is Rachuli Lobiani (რაჭული ლობიანი), like a Khachapuri, but with beans.

type of Georgian bread

Tklapi () is a traditional Georgian puréed fruit roll-up leather. It is spread thinly onto a sheet and sun-dried on a clothesline. It can be sour or sweet. The sour version is made of cherry plums, which are often used for soups and stews, mostly with Kharcho. Sweet Tklapi is made of apricots or peaches. It can also be prepared by the juice that is used in making Churchkhela.

spice blend in Georgian cuisine

Elarji () is a traditional Georgian dish and a staple for the Samegrelo region of the country. It is prepared by kneading a large amount of sulguni cheese into a thick porridge (ghomi) made from cornmeal and flour. The dish is distinguished by its high elasticity and uniform structure.

Kuchmachi (, ) is a traditional Georgian dish of chicken livers, hearts and gizzards with walnuts and pomegranate seeds for topping.

Gebzhalia () is a traditional Georgian dish, and a staple in region of Samegrelo. It consists of cheese rolls with the addition of mint or filled with green ajika.

Chkinti (, ) is a traditional Georgian cheese from Imereti region of the country.

Pelamushi (, ) or tatara () is a Georgian dessert porridge commonly made in autumn, composed of a thick, hard chilled jelly made from grape juice and flour. Pelamushi is usually served with peeled nuts or gozinaki.

salad based on eggplant

Tenili (, ) is a traditional Georgian string cheese from Meskheti region of the country. Tenili cheese is known to be made with the most complicated production techniques of all Georgian cheeses and is enrolled in UNESCO's world heritage list.

Achma () is a traditional Georgian dish and a variety of khachapuri from region of Adjara.

Muzhuzhi () is a traditional Georgian pork aspic. What makes muzhuzhi unique is that it's prepared from two components (legs and tails, and lean pork meat), which are processed in slightly different ways and then combined into one dish after being cooked. Both parts of the muzhuzhi are lightly marinated in wine vinegar infused with tarragon and basil. The vinegar should make up one-tenth of the volume of the broth poured over the finished muzhuzha. The dish is served cold a day after preparation, garnished with green onions and herbs. Muzhuzhi exists in both hot and cold versions.

Dambalkhacho () is a pungent Georgian cheese. The dried lumps are placed into clay pots and left that way for 2-3 months, in order for the cheese to develop special mold. The cheese has a specific, intense aroma, the texture is semi-soft and uniform, while the flavors are spicy.

Ojakhuri () is a traditional Georgian dish, consisting of fried meat and potatoes. It is prepared using various types of meat (beef, pork, or even chicken), potatoes, and spices, and is traditionally served on a ketsi clay plates. ==History== In Georgian, ojakhuri means "family-style"; this dish is typically prepared for the entire family. Consequently, a large quantity of a dish is usually cooked to ensure there is enough for everyone. According to a tradition, Ojakhuri came into existence due to a meat shortage in a Georgian family. The housewife, wishing to feed every family member, replace

Georgian soft drink

Georgian cheese