The gastronomic richness of Georgia

Georgia straddles two great continents: Europe and Asia. Although its history dates back to the 11th century, Georgia was part of the former USSR for many years. It gained independence in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

It borders Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan and Tbilisi as its capital. A beautiful city of 1.4 million inhabitants, set among mountains on the banks of the Kura River. The city’s name comes from the word Tpli, which in Georgian means hot water and which refers to the presence of sulphurous and thermal waters.

Georgia is the cradle of wine, an ancient tradition in which farmers have developed and refined cultivation techniques. Part of Georgian culture, it won a place on Greek and Roman tables and survives to this day. Notable wines include Tsinandali, Kindzmarauli and Teliani all of them produced with the saperavi grape.

As you might expect in a mountainous country, the cheeses are fabulous and feature in every Georgian meal: fresh, salted, matured or steeped in wine.

Georgia has a long, varied culinary tradition, favouring spicy dishes based on vegetables, bread and meat. They say the best introduction is a celebration, when the country’s finest food is served. A party is unthinkable without a table laden with dishes and enough food to keep the festivities going late into the night.

You have to try the jachapauri, is a traditional dish made in different shapes and filled with cheese, meat, egg and spices. Aubergine and beetroot dishes are popular starters.

Other traditional dishes are:

• Grub: Georgian soup flavoured with tart dried plums, with rice, beef, garlic and nuts.
• Chakhokhbili: Poultry stew with garlic, tomato sauce and spices
• Ajapsandali: stew based on aubergines, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and other vegetables
• Lobio: a dish of red or green beans with hot spices and herbs.
• Mtsvadi: Georgian lamb skewers, with the meat first marinated in pomegranate juice or wine vinegar)
• Khinkali: ravioli-like dumplings filled with minced meat, herbs and spices.

Travel to Georgia 2022

A route combining cultural visits in Kakheti with walks. We cross the country by overnight train to mountainous Svaneti and admire the country's highest inhabited villages, with their characteristic defensive towers. We stay in rural guesthouses, sampling the delicious cuisine and experiencing the culture of these Caucasian villages first-hand.

Possibly one of Georgia’s best trekking routes and the Caucasus. Moderate walks through remote valleys and medieval villages, crossing passes and observing glaciers beneath the country’s highest peaks. We start in Tbilisi and finish in Batumi on the Black Sea, staying in rural homes and tasting the rich local cuisine.