7 must-try food and drink in Georgia

The so-called ‘national dish’ of Georgia, khachapuri is the perfect winter warmer. This traditional leavened bread is canoe-like in shape, with gooey melted sulgani cheese baked into the middle, then topped with chunks of butter and an egg cracked onto the top. It’s ubiquitous across Georgia and can be found at most hole-in-the-wall bakeries and restaurants. Each region has its own twist with vegetables or different meats, so you’ll just have to try them all!

During Soviet rule, meat was a pricey ingredient reserved for special occasions, so the enterprising Georgians developed their own vegetarian recipes that could be made with whatever was fresh and seasonal. Phkali salads are a stalwart of Georgian cooking. They’re probably best described as vegetable pâtés – carrot, beetroot or spinach is boiled and then puréed with lemon juice, garlic and walnuts, and served over bread. It’s common to see several types served side-by-side, scattered with pomegranate seeds.

Far removed from anything you’ll find in the local kebab house, mtsvadi are a Georgian variation of shashlik – meat impaled on a stick and cooked over an open flame. Mtsvadi are different to Turkish and Armenian variations and usually just seasoned with salt before being flame grilled and served with a heavy-handed dollop of tkemali, a sour plum sauce that is served over everything from potatoes to fried chicken.

Amber wine is produced throughout Eurasia, but the Georgian variations are widely regarded as the best. Just don’t call it ‘orange’ wine! Purists will tell you that the ancient techniques first forged in the Caucasus Mountains yield beautifully amber-coloured wines, which are made with white wines aged on the grape skins in the way that most red wines are made. This preserves the colour and fruity aromas, making them ideal wines to pair with hearty Georgian dishes. In the traditional way, the wines are aged underground in qvevri, large clay vessels, which are then brought up to the surface for bottling in the spring.