Georgian food: 12 essential dishes
Georgian food is the cuisine of the Caucasus: dough filled with broth, bread with melted cheese, meat grilled over vine wood and walnut sauces with pomegranate. Aromatic rather than fiery, it has a broad vegetarian tradition and an 8,000-year wine culture using buried clay vessels. Here are the 12 dishes that define this table, their ingredients and how to eat them.
The 12 dishes
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1. Khinkali
Dough pouches with pleats and a knot on top. Meat versions hold broth inside; size, filling ratio and number of folds vary by recipe. Traditionally, you hold the knot, bite a side to carefully sip the broth and leave the knot on the plate.
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2. Khachapuri
Baked bread filled with melted cheese. The Adjarian version is boat-shaped, with a raw egg and butter in the middle, mixed with the hot bread before eating. The Imeretian version is round and closed, more like a filled pizza.
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3. Satsivi
Cold chicken or turkey in a thick walnut sauce with garlic, coriander and Imeretian saffron. A festive dish, prepared the day before and served at room temperature, never hot.
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4. Lobio
Red bean stew with onion, walnuts, coriander and spices. Served in a clay pot with cornbread (mchadi). Vegetarian and one of Georgia’s everyday dishes.
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5. Badrijani nigvzit
Fried aubergine rolls filled with walnut and garlic paste, topped with pomegranate. A vegetarian starter found on almost every Georgian table.
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6. Pkhali
Balls of chopped vegetables (spinach, beetroot or green beans) mixed with ground walnuts, garlic and vinegar. Served cold, often three or four varieties together for their contrasting colours.
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7. Chakhokhbili
Chicken stew with plenty of tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs. No water is added: the sauce comes from the tomatoes themselves. Its name comes from khokhobi, pheasant, the bird originally used.
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8. Ostri
Beef in tomato sauce with garlic and pepper. Heat levels depend on the recipe, so ask when choosing the dish.
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9. Mtsvadi
Pork or beef skewers grilled over vine wood, with marinated onion. No sauces: just salt, pepper and wood smoke.
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10. Kubdari
Bread filled with hand-chopped meat and mountain spices, typical of Svaneti. Eaten hot, cut into slices like a savoury pie.
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11. Churchkhela
Walnuts threaded on a string and repeatedly dipped in thickened grape must, then air-dried for weeks. One of Georgia’s best-known sweets; sugar content depends on the recipe.
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12. Chacha and qvevri wine
Georgia has made wine for 8,000 years in buried clay vessels (qvevri), a method recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Chacha is the grape-pomace spirit served at the end of a meal.
Georgian or Russian: how they differ
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Georgian | Russian | |
|---|---|---|
| Filled dough | Khinkali, with pleats and broth inside | Pelmeni, usually bite-sized |
| How to eat it | By hand, holding the knot | With cutlery; often with sour cream |
| Spices | Coriander, walnuts, pomegranate, fenugreek | Dill, pepper, onion |
| Festive dish | Grilled mtsvadi, satsivi | Olivier salad, fish in aspic |
| Vegetarian options | Very common (pkhali, lobio) | Also present (vareniki, soups, vegetables) |
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is Georgian food?
It is the cuisine of the Caucasus: lots of walnuts, coriander, pomegranate, fresh cheese and grilled meat. It combines influences from Persia, Turkey and Russia while retaining its own dishes such as khinkali and khachapuri. In general, it is aromatic rather than hot.
How does it differ from Russian food?
Walnuts, herbs, pomegranate and grilled meats feature prominently in many Georgian dishes. Russian cuisine often includes soups, filled dough, dill and sour cream, with many regional variations. Khinkali usually have pleats and broth inside; pelmeni tend to be smaller and are eaten with cutlery.
Is Georgian food spicy?
Not generally. Aromatic spices such as coriander, blue fenugreek and Imeretian saffron are more typical than heat. Only some dishes, such as ostri or adjika sauces, are truly hot, and milder versions can be requested.
Are there vegetarian dishes in Georgian cuisine?
Many, and they are not exceptions: pkhali, lobio, badrijani, walnut salads and several khachapuri varieties are vegetarian. Long meat-free periods in the Orthodox calendar helped develop Georgia’s rich plant-based cooking tradition.
Khinkali for professionals on the Costa Brava
More about these dishes: what are khinkali · how to cook them step by step · supply enquiries on the Costa Brava