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Georgian food is one of the most underrated cuisines in the world. While there are some Georgian restaurants in major cities around the world, most people have never had any food from the country. And if they have, they’ve only had one of the best-known Georgian dishes like khachapuri or khinkali. However, as awesome as they are, Georgian food is so much more than just those two things. Here are some of my favorite must-eat Georgian dishes & drinks, including foods for every time of day and every diet, including vegetarians and vegans.
Note: We all know that food influences have moved around and become cross-cultural. Some other cultures may argue about who first created a dish or who it truly “belongs” to, but nobody truly owns any dish. While most of these dishes are predominantly Georgian, they have also been influenced by Turkey, Armenia, Russia, and beyond. So if you’re tempted to say that some dish is really from another place, go stuff your mouth with some khachapuri.
Best Georgian Dishes
It’s impossible to be hungry in Georgia. There’s something for everyone, from carb-loaded dishes like khachapuri to veggie-friendly meals to heavy meat plates. While a Georgian supra is famous for its massive spread of food, any Georgian meal will leave you satisfied (and quite possibly overstuffed). The food is one of the best reasons to visit Georgia.
Whether you’re traveling to Georgia or visiting a Georgian restaurant elsewhere, here are some of the best Georgian dishes to be on the lookout for. Several of these foods are on the list of Intangible cultural heritage of Georgia, demonstrating their impact on Georgian cuisine and culture.
Khachapuri
Let’s start with the most obvious. If you’ve heard one food from Georgia, it’s khachapuri. The legendary dough topped with cheese is the stuff of dreams.
However, there is a wide variety of types of khachapuri from different regions around the country, each including different arrangements of cheese and dough combined with other ingredients.
Read more about the different types of khachapuri.
Khinkali
The 2nd most famous dish from Georgia is khinkali. These filled dumplings are also gifts from heaven.
Once again, there are a variety of fillings for khinkali. The most traditional filling is meat, but there are also cheese and vegetarian varieties.
Read more about khinkali in Georgia, including how to eat them so you don’t embarrass yourself.
Pkhali
While there are many dishes from Georgia that are heavy with meat and or cheese, the country also has plenty of foods that are friendly to vegetarians and vegans.
One such dish is the appetizer known as pkhali. Pkhali is made from minced vegetables, such as beets, spinach, beans, cabbage, or eggplant, combined with ground walnuts, garlic, onions, vinegar, and herbs.
The resulting vegetable pâté is bright in color and can be found on menus all over Georgia.
Skhmeruli
Shkmeruli is another quintessential Georgian dish. If you love garlic, you’ll love shkmeruli.
The dish begins with fried chicken, which is always a great start. It is then simmered in a creamy garlic sauce.
Absolutely delicious.
Georgian Cheeses
Cheese is one of the most vital ingredients in Georgian food. It’s used in many of the most famous dishes of Georgian cuisine, such as khachapuri and some variations of khinkali.
It’s also delicious on its own, of course.
Some of the most popular Georgian cheeses include Sulguni, Imeruli, Tenili, Chechili, Guda, and Dambalkhacho.
Puri (Georgian Bread)
Puri means “bread” in Georgian. There are multiple varieties, but the most traditional method of breadmaking uses a tandoor oven called a tone.
The dough is kneaded and rolled into strips like normal bread before being slapped on the inside of the oven for baking. The resulting Shotis puri is long and slightly curved, like the shape of the oven. Warm, fresh bread can be bought from small independent bakeries in Tbilisi.
Mchadi
Mchadi is Georgian cornbread.
Although now found everywhere, it is originally from western Georgia, where corn is more prevalent. It is often eaten with beans (lobio) or cheese.
Chvishtari
What’s better than cornbread? Cornbread stuffed with cheese.
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Add some Sulguni cheese to the mchadi mix, fry it, and you’ll have delicious chvishtari, one of my favorite dishes from the Svaneti region.
Kubdari
Kubdari is another popular regional dish from Svaneti.
It’s a meat pie that’s filled with beef and/or pork, plus local herbs and spices. Fresh out of the oven, it’s a delight.
Lobio
Lobio is a Georgian bean dish. Several varieties are available, and the accompanying spice and herb ingredients vary by region. Lobio can be served hot or cold.
Hot lobio served in a clay pot is a hearty wintertime dish.
Satsivi
Satsivi is another Georgian chicken dish.
Chicken (or other poultry) is added to a creamy sauce made from walnuts, garlic, and spices. The dish is served cold.
Mtsvadi
Ever since humans mastered fire & hunting, they’ve been grilling meat. Every culture has its specialty BBQ dishes. In Georgia, that dish is mtsvadi.
Mtsvadi is skewered meat (usually pork) that is grilled after being marinated in pomegranate and spices.
Tkemali
Mtsvadi is excellent, but it’s the accompanying sauce that takes it to a whole other level.
Tkemali is a sour plum sauce used as a condiment with various dishes in Georgia. It’s especially popular with grilled meat such as mtsvadi, as pictured above. However, it’s such a ubiquitous Georgian flavor that I’ve even seen it incorporated as a sour beer ingredient (see below).
Kharcho
There’s nothing like a good hearty soup when it’s cold outside. Kharcho fits that bill.
Kharcho is made from beef, rice, cherry plum puree, and walnuts. The spice mixture known as Khmeli Suneli (see below) is also prevalent. The soup is rich, sour, and flavorful.
Chikhirtma
Chikhirtma is another favorite Georgian soup.
The soup is made from chicken, eggs, lemon curd, and herbs, giving it a lighter flavor while still being a filling dish.
Kupati
Kupati is Georgian sausage.
It’s typically made from pork (although beef can be used) and tons of spices & other flavors such as black pepper, cinnamon, garlic, onion, salt, and coriander.
Lobiani
Above, I mentioned lobio, a Georgian bean dish.
Beans are also the core of lobiani, which is similar to khachapuri or kubdari, but beans are used instead of cheese or meat.
Gebjalia
Gebjalia is a traditional dish from Samegrelo.
The dish is made from rolls of cheese (often Sulguni) served in a sauce of milk, mint, pepper, and more cheese.
Nigvziani Badrijani
Nigvziani badrijani is another beloved Georgian dish that’s friendly to vegetarians and vegans.
The dish consists of fried eggplant rolled around walnut & garlic paste, topped with pomegranate seeds.
Georgian Salads
With great produce, a simple salad can be fantastic.
While there are a variety of other salads in Georgia, tomato and cucumber salad and carrot salad are also popular.
Ajapsandali
Ajapsandali is an eggplant stew similar to ratatouille. It is usually served cold and contains tomatoes, onion, pepper, herbs, and, of course, lots of Georgian spices.
Elarji
I’ve already established just how great Georgian cheese is, but here’s another beloved dish from Georgia that uses it. It’s a major part of Megrelian cuisine.
Elarji is a hot dish from the Samegrelo region made with cornmeal, cornflour, and cheese. When made properly, the mixture is stretchy, making for outstanding cheese pull photos.
Ghomi
Ghomi is similar to elarji, except in the case of ghomi, the cheese is not mixed into the cornmeal & cornflour mixture. Instead, it’s placed into it so it can melt.
Tashmijabi
Continuing down the list of Georgian dishes involving carbohydrates and cheese, we move on to tashmijabi, which comes from Svaneti.
Tashmijabi consists of mashed potatoes, corn flour, and cheese. It’s on the Intangible cultural heritage of Georgia list.
Jonjoli
Jonjoli is one of the most unique Georgian dishes. Bladdernut (Staphylea colchica) is a shrub native to Georgia. The plant has medicinal properties and is also called jonjoli. Although endangered, conservation efforts are being undertaken to preserve the future of this important historic element of the cuisine of Georgia.
The jonjoli buds are pickled to make the dish, which is typically served as an appetizer, along with coriander and onion.
Kikliko
Since the culture is focused more on later-day eating, there aren’t many notable Georgian breakfast dishes. However, one dish in particular is worth seeking out.
Kikliko is a Georgian egg bread dish. Think of it as Georgian french toast.
My hotel breakfast buffet consisted mostly of non-Georgian dishes, along with some Georgian yogurts, fruits, veggies, meat, and cheese. However, on some days, they had some local dishes, such as kikliko, available.
Khmeli Suneli
There are a few spice mixtures that are core to Georgian cuisine.
Khmeli suneli is a mixture of ground coriander seeds, celery seeds, dried basil, dill, parsley, mint, blue fenugreek, summer savory, bay leaf, paprika, tarragon, and marigold, though recipes and ratios can vary.
Svanetian Salt
Another Georgian spice mix is Svanetian salt. Svanetian salt is made from local herbs and spices, including paprika, garlic, salt, dried coriander, dried dill, blue fenugreek, marigold, dried cumin, and wild caraway seed (gitsruli). Again, everyone has their own family recipe.
It’s fantastic in pretty much everything, from salads to meat dishes. I brought some home with me & frequently put it on fried eggs.
Ajika
Ajika is a spicy pepper paste that’s popular as both a dip and a spice mix. It contains dried red chili peppers, garlic, blue fenugreek, ground marigold, coriander, and salt.
The mix has grown in popularity beyond Georgia, so much so that it’s even available at Trader Joe’s in the United States.
Best Georgian Desserts & Sweets
Churchkhela
Look around any shop selling traditional Georgian food or gifts, and you’ll likely spot churchkhela hanging, looking like sausages. However, these aren’t meat.
Also called “Georgian Snickers,” these sweet treats have a long history. Grape juice and flour are combined, and a string of walnuts or hazelnuts is dipped into the resulting mixture.
Although this stage doesn’t look particularly appetizing, the final dried result is a preserved, healthy snack that is perfect for soldiers far from home.
Gozinaki
Gozinaki is another favorite Georgian sweet treat. It is made from walnuts, almonds, and/or hazelnuts that are caramelized and then fried in honey before typically being cut into diamond shapes.
The dessert is especially popular over the Christmas and New Year period.
Tklapi
Remember when Fruit Roll-Ups were popular when you were a kid? Tklapi is the Georgian version of that snack.
Tklapi is made from cooked fruit puree and then laid flat to dry, with the final product resembling leather. It can be made from a variety of fruits, including plums, apples, cherries, apricots, pears, mulberries, or figs.
More than just a snack, tklapi can also be used as an ingredient in soups and stews such as kharcho.
Pelamushi
Pelamushi is a sweet dessert porridge made from grape juice and flour. It’s the same thing as the grape part of churchkhela, but it is served chilled.
It’s an interesting dessert that’s a refreshing delight and one that ties to Georgia’s connection with grapes.
Kaklucha (Orbeliani candy)
Kaklucha is a sweet made from walnuts and caramelized sugar. Its history dates back to the 19th century when it was first created for the Orbeliani family.
Orbeliani candy isn’t easy to find in Georgia, as only a few people know how to make it. However, it is available at Shemomechama and Cafe Leila in Tbilisi, along with other great traditional Georgian dishes.
Ponchiki
Nearly every culture has some form of fried dough. In Georgia, the fried doughnuts are known as ponchiki.
Tbilisi’s Puri Guliani is best known for its excellent khachapuri, however, if you visit, be sure to save some room for ponchiki.
Their freshly made pillowy dough is filled with warm vanilla cream.
If it’s possible to eat a hug, this is it.
Nazuki
Along the drive between Tbilisi & Kutaisi, you’ll spot stands selling Georgian bread on the side of the road near the village of Surami.
This bread is called nazuki. Nazuki is a sweet bread filled with raisins, usually baked in a tone. Although it traditionally was served during Easter, it has become a year-round delight, especially on this stretch of road. It’s best consumed fresh and hot.
Kada
Kada (qada) is a sweet Georgian pastry typically served on special occasions. The pastry is a rolled mix of flour, butter, and sugar. Inside the roll, there’s further sugar & butter.
The resulting pastry reminded me of a cross between a coffee cake & a cinnamon roll (though without the spice).
Ice cream
Ice cream isn’t unique to Georgia, but some places offer ice cream with Georgian flavors.
Head to Cone Culture in Tbilisi for the best ice cream in the city, served from a building with painted murals on the side.
Uniquely Georgian flavors include chocolate ajika, which has a delightful spicy kick, and cinnamon and gozinaki. Don’t skip the cones; they use a sweet batter to make fresh cones.
Best Georgian Drinks
With all of this great Georgian food, you’ll need something to wash it down. Thankfully, there’s plenty to drink in Georgia, from alcoholic options like wine and chacha to unique sodas with local flavors.
Georgian Wine
Georgia is the oldest winemaking region in the world. Archeological evidence shows that wine production in the country dates back some 8,000 years.
Today, Georgian winemaking continues with its unique qvevri method. Georgian wines are becoming increasingly easy to find in wine shops around the world.
If you’re visiting Georgia, be sure to visit the wine bars and wine shops of Tbilisi and take a day trip to the wine region of Kakheti if you can.
Chacha
The national spirit of Georgia is chacha. After wine is made, the resulting byproducts aren’t wasted. The stems, seeds, and skins are then distilled to make chacha, a grape brandy.
Chacha is widely available in Georgia, fuelling social occasions such as the supra and offered as a welcome to guests.
Lemonades & Sodas (Laghidze water)
Georgia is one of the few places in the world where Coca-Cola isn’t completely dominant. Local sodas, typically called lemonades, are hugely popular within the country.
The most famous brand is Lagidze Waters, which was established in 1887. It is on the Intangible cultural heritage of Georgia list. While you can find their flavors, which include pear, lemon, cherry, grape, and tarragon, in bottled versions, the most authentic drinks can be found at soda fountains where the syrup is mixed with carbonated water. One place where you can find such a shop is at Bazari Orbeliani in Tbilisi.
I became addicted to pear lemonade when I was in Georgia, ordering it whenever I could.
Craft Beer
Georgia doesn’t have a massive craft beer scene, but it’s growing. Tbilisi has a few great craft beer bars and breweries. Notably, a couple of breweries are working with uniquely Georgian flavors. When I was in Tbilisi, I had beers inspired by khinkali, kharcho, and tkemali.
Here are some other great Tbilisi tours & activities. Check out these Tbilisi day trips, too.
For Georgian wine experiences, I recommend taking a day trip to Kakheti from Tbilisi. You can also visit the many wine bars in Tbilisi.
If wine isn’t your thing, Tbilisi also has excellent cocktail bars & craft beer bars & breweries. Be sure to try the local spirit known as chacha!
Need a place to stay? Check out these Tbilisi hotel options. I enjoyed my stay at the Moxy Tbilisi, and the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel is another excellent option.
