It’s natural to want to immerse yourself in the local culture when visiting a foreign country. For a lot of people, that means trying the local cuisine. After all, why go all the way to Russia if you’re not going to eat Russian food – right?
Wrong! If you want to really get a taste of everything that Russia has to offer, then you have to try Georgian food while you’re here.
Georgian restaurants are everywhere in Russia. Just like the British love Indian food and Americans love Mexican, so Georgian food is Russia’s foreign cuisine of choice. And looking at Georgia’s unique cooking style and dishes, it’s easy to see why. Georgia is a small country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and the influence of both is evident in its dishes. Georgian food is gooey and spicy and best enjoyed alongside some sweet Georgian wine – in other words, a world away from traditional Russian fare, which tends to be on the blander side. Perhaps that’s why the great poet Pushkin was so ready to sing the cuisine’s praises, declaring, “Every Georgian dish is a poem!”
So while you’re in Russia, be sure to step into a Georgian restaurant at least once. You can use sites like TripAdvisor to find them (just use the ‘filter’ function in the restaurant section) or simply keep an eye out for signs with the words ‘Georgian’ or ‘грузинский’ on them. As we said, they’re extremely common!
When it comes to ordering Georgian food, there are some classic dishes that are definitely worth a try. Menu highlights include:
Khachapuri – This gooey cheese bread is Georgia’s national dish, and it’s insanely rich. There are many different types of khachapuri, but for the most decadent experience try khachapuri Adjaruli, which is essentially a canoe of bread filled with molten sulguni cheese and topped with butter and an egg. It’s a heart attack waiting to happen, but it tastes so good!
Khinkali – Georgia’s spin on the classic dumpling, khinkali usually contain minced meat (lamb, beef and pork are all common) flavoured with herbs and spices. Traditionally, khinkali should be eaten with your bare hands, holding the dumpling by the tip where the pleats meat, sucking out the juices and then tucking in.
Kharcho – A thick meat stew that’s slow-cooked alongside tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, coriander and an aromatic Georgian five-spice blend known as khmeli suneli, which gives the dish a gorgeous amber colour. The perfect dish for warming up over the long Russian winters.
Lobio – A great vegetarian option, this is a stewed kidney bean dish flavoured with coriander, walnuts, garlic and onion. Think refried beans with a Eurasian twist. Ideally eaten alongside mchadi (Georgian corn bread) or baked inside a delicious flaky dough (lobiani).
Georgian wine – Georgia calls itself “the birthplace of wine” and archaeological evidence confirms its status as the oldest wine-making regions in the world – so it would be a shame not to have a glass with your meal. Well-known wines include Pirosmani, Alazani, Saperavi, Akhasheni and Kindzmarauli.
By now, we hope we’ve convinced you to step inside a Georgian restaurant while you’re in Russia and experience this unique cuisine first hand. And if you have any favourite dishes or restaurant recommendations, we’d love to hear about them in the comments or on Facebook or Instagram. Приятного аппетита!
Image credits (L-R): Sandra C., Sandra C., A. Savin, GeorgianRecipes.Net and Khuroshvili Ilya.
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