17 Georgian Foods That Will Blow Your (Cheese-Addicted) Mind

Georgia as in the country in the Caucasus, not the US state, FYI.

Georgian cuisine (and wine) traditions are not just ancient, they're amazing. They cater to meat-eaters and vegetarians and, importantly, they now how to melt cheese everywhere.

1. Adjapsandali

georgianjournal.ge / Via georgianjournal.ge

A spicy dish made with eggplant, potato, tomato, bell pepper, a bunch of greens (parsley, coriander and basil) and red pepper. If you're a vegetarian eating this in a restaurant, your meat-eating friends will most definitely be stealing a lot of bites.

2. Suluguni cheese

Aleksandrs Znovs / Via discovergeorgiablog.wordpress.com

Suluguni is a brined cheese with a stringy elastic texture. Depending on the recipe it can be quite salty, so best eaten with something that balances out the taste, like grilled peaches like on the picture above. Or melted over all the things.

3. Imeruli Khachapuri

Robyn Lee / Via Flickr: roboppy

Khachapuri (cheese bread) from the Imereti region of Georgia, stuffed with melty white suluguni cheeese and glazed with butter.

4. Megruli Khachapuri

Florian / Via foodperestroika.com

Khachapuri from the Megrelia region of Georgia. Stuffed with cheese AND topped with cheese.

BTW, this is just an appetiser.

5. Adjaruli Khachapuri

georgianjournal.ge / Via georgianjournal.ge

Boat-shaped pie from the Adjara region of Georgia, filled with cheese and topped with egg and butter. Yes, they do that.

6. Chicken Satsivi

Lesya Dolyk / Via flickr.com

Chicken in walnut sauce, usually topped with pomegranate seeds and/or fresh greens.

7. Lobio

Georgian Recipes / Via georgiaabout.com

Bean stew, cooked with coriander, walnuts, garlic and onion, served hot or cold.

8. Mchadi

Argo Bakery / Via argobakery.com

Mchadis are tiny fired conbread buns, usually eaten with lobio and suluguni. Some varieties have cheese mized into the dough too, because why not.

9. Kharcho

Jennifer Eremeeva / Via moscovore.com

Heavy beef soup cooked with rice, veggies, plum puree and walnuts, usually served with a heap of fresh coriander. Some varieties are made with other meats.

10. Khinkali

georgianrecipes.net / Via georgianrecipes.net

Juicy meat dumplings served with various sauces. Could be fried.

11. Kababi (shashliks)

Pouya / Via Flickr: skeptically

Meat grilled on skewers, usually served with homemade tomato sauce and fresh veggies.

12. Chashushuli

Florian / Via foodperestroika.com

Veal with veggies in spicy tomato sauce

13. Chakhokhbili

Florian / Via foodperestroika.com

Chicken chunks (usually on the bone) in a spicy tomato stew with lots of herbs.

14. Lobiani

Sandra C / Via Flickr: qinn

Kchachapuri-like bread, only filled with cooked beans (lobio), sometimes served with bacon and walnuts.

15. Lavash Bread

Fatima Mansur / Via youtube.com

Traditional to many countries in the Caucasus, lavash is similar to Indian naan breads. Perfect to pair with meat stews or to eat with more cheese. Why not.

16. Pkhali

Georgia About / Via georgiaabout.com

Chopped and minced vegetables (cabbage, eggplant, spinach, beans, beets) with ground walnuts, vinegar, onions, garlic, and herbs. Usually formed into patties and served with lavash bread.

17. Nadugi

Georgia About / Via georgiaabout.com

Cheese stuffed with more cheese, literally: thin slices of cheese filled with more cheese mixed with matsoni (Georgian yoghurt) and mint.