Georgian Culture and Cuisine
Traditional Georgian cuisine
With Samtskhe-Javakheti variations
Food and drinks play a very important part in everyday Georgian life. And it's not just about eating and drinking - coming together for a meal is even more important as a social event. Yet it doesn't always have to be a "supra", the famous traditional Georgian feast that not only takes hours, but has fixed rules including drinking, toasting and singing. More about the "supra" in the section "Georgian hospitality", which can be found under "Samtskhe-Javakheti travel information".
Traditional Georgian cuisine uses a lot of meat, cheese and dough, so, for European standards, it can be quite heavy. But on the other hand, traditional Georgian cooking is also a reservoir for vegetarians, comprising a lot of vegetables, garlic, onions, very often walnuts and a lot of herbs, especially parsley, coriander and saffron.
The cuisine of Samtskhe-Javakheti is no exception, although it may still differ from other regional cuisines of Georgia, partly because of its use of goose meat and the historical Turkish influences, as the Ottoman Empire ruled over the region for centuries.
By the way, when you order a dish in a Georgian restaurant, clearly tell the waiter if you want it as a starter, side dish or main dish. With most dishes either one is possible, just the quantity differs. Salad, for example, is not automatically served together with meat. If you don't specifically order it that way, the meat may come first and the salad afterwards. And main dishes usually do not include side dishes, traditionally you have to order everything separately.
For detailed text information on traditional Georgian and Samtskhe-Javakheti cuisine, please click either on one of the detail buttons in the picture or on one of the words in the list below.
picture credits: beyondarts GmbH
Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.
