We knew very little about Georgian cuisine before arriving there other than the drool-worthy recommendations we’d read on guidebooks and blogs. But we knew we were highly intrigued. The recommendations lived up to their hype and in the three weeks we traveled here, we never tired of it once thanks to its variety, simple sophistication, and unique flavors and spices with tons of vegetarian options. In fact, Georgian shot up in our top five list of ethnic cuisines, sharing the ranks with Thai, Indian, Mexican and Lebanese. Yes…please spread the word…Georgians need to start opening these amazing restaurants everywhere!

Mandy’s favorite dish which she had about 10 times: Lobio, aka beans in clay pot, which is Georgia’s national dish, and made dozens of ways across Georgia. Also shown with a fried cornbread (another Georgian specialty) and pickled veggies are a popular sides.

It’s not pizza. It’s khachapuri, which is one Georgia’s most famous and ubiquitous dishes which is basically a cheese pie. So good right out of the oven! There are five types found in different regions across the country; It’s extremely filling and makes really great trail/road food! Good warm or at room temperature and nice and salty due to the natural flavor of the cheese.

Roasted vegetables… they use an abundance of eggplant, tomatoes, onions and parsley.

Ojakhuri: pork fried with spices and served in a sizzling clay pot. this one is for the meat & potatoes crowd.

Our ($4) guesthouse breakfast spread featuring banana pancakes with a pear jam, sulguni cheese (very salty), mashed potatoes with cheese and dill (Mestia-area-only specialty), always mandatory tomatoes and cucumbers, and breaded fried minced meat filled rolls.

Georgian bread costs about $.80 and is made using this round clay oven. The baker slaps the dough to the sides to cook it, you can see some pictured near the rim, and in a few minutes out comes a little slab of hot freshly baked heaven… enough to feed an army.

Another form of Khachapuri called Acharuli (Greg’s fav)…a large boat-shaped calorie injection with melted cheese floating in melted better, topped with a runny egg. Your one meal for the day if you order this. Next to it is the more nutritional option: ajapsandali (eggplant stew) which is served cold but they also have a hot version which tastes similar. A bit like ratatouille… so good!

Another guesthouse spread: vegetable soup, fried trout, khachapuri, Georgian bread, ajapsandali, creamy potatoes and always on the table: Svaneti Salt…a regional speciality that is salt, garlic, marigolds, blue fenugreek, coriander, and some other unknown herbs we couldn’t find out the secret on. Best salt-spice ever! In fact, we’ll be trucking some in our backpacks for awhile, as we procured about a quarter pound of it in the market 🙂

Another breakfast spread in Ushguli with a view! This one added The best sweet plum jam…delicious.

Churchkela in the markets…a string of walnuts dipped in grape juice syrup. Another excellent road/trail food.

Our best of the best meals in the city of Kutaisi. Khinkali, a Georgian dumpling which can be stuffed with cheese, minced meat, or potato. And next to it, roasted thinly sliced eggplants with an omg(!) good ground walnut paste. Order anything…absolutely anything…with walnuts in Georgia! You won’t be disappointed.

Also, here we had Chizhi Bizhi, cheese, stewed tomatoes, onions, peppers, and “whatever spices the chef has at hand.” This was actually written on the menu? By the way, almost all menus are written in Georgian, English and Russian so fortunately this wasn’t an issue here.

And the source of all those amazing dishes. The markets are stocked with beautiful, plentiful, fresh and cheap local produce.

Have some of these in your garden? Marigold petals are one of the key (secret) ingredients in our beloved Svaneti salt, and other Georgian dishes.

We’ve already talked about our incredible stay at Cico’s in the city of Akhaltsikhe. She fed us like this for breakfast and dinner for three days straight. Absolute food coma thanks to her ? again, this spread was just for us!!

We’ve never gotten that excited about mineral water until we had it from Borjomi. Famous throughout the former Soviet Union and believed by many, including Joseph Stalin to have health healing properties. Popular for its salty/sour fizziness and love-it or hate-it acquired taste. We loved it.

In Signaghi you pretty much have to get a liter of homemade wine with your meal. They don’t list “by the glass” on the menu, only liter. This wine was $4 and absolutely yummy. Also, mire Badrijai nigvzit-rolls of eggplant stuffed with walnut paste and topped with pomegranate. Many dishes include blue fenugreek and this is one of them. We could eat this dish everyday of our lives. Sooo good.

Another meal… fried cornbread sticks with salty Sulguni cheese inside, then dipped in a sour cream dill sauce.

More roasted vegetables in clay pot. These pots are still boiling when they are served to you.

One more Georgian salad and Ajapsandali.

Cottage cheese dumplings.

Mushrooms with Sulguni cheese in clay pot. Nom, nom, nom…

It’s just carrots. But then you add a walnut paste and ???? and suddenly it’s the best carrots you’ve ever had in your life. Wow!!!