8 Must Eat Food In Georgia To Satisfy Your Taste Buds

Georgia is one of those very few countries in the world which are particularly famous for their culinary diversity. This small eastern European country has seen a varied history of Ottomans, Arabs and Russian passing through its land who have left a great impact on the food scene of Georgia. To get to know all about the must eat food in Georgia – I have collaborated with eight travel bloggers. They have shared their favorite Georgian cuisines, which you should definitely consider eating at least once when in Georgia.

Khinkali

By Megan of Absolute Armenia

If you’re going to eat one food in Georgia on your trip there- let it be khinkali!  It doubtedly tops the list of the must eat food in Georgia. These Georgian dumplings are so important to Georgian cuisine and they exude so much flavor and aroma that you will be thankful you made your way to the Caucasus so you could try them out in their homeland. 

While you can find khinkali in various places from restaurants in Washington DC to cafes in Yerevan, there is nothing like enjoying them in the heart of Tbilisi at a restaurant that caters to locals, such as Ethno Tsiskvili outside of the touristy city center.  When you order khinkali, you will often order them individually and they are extremely affordably priced. 

They usually come with meat in them, but you can often find vegetarian options filled with mushrooms or cheese.  When you eat them, do so with your hands and tip them upside down, holding it by the stem and slurping the juices out of it once you bite into it.  Khinkali are absolutely delicious and deserved to be enjoyed by every visitor to Georgia. 

If you’re into trying the local food just like me, you should definitely consider checking out the best restaurants for Georgian food in Tbilisi.

Nigvziani Badrijani

By Kiara Gallop of Gallop Around The Globe

One of my favourite snacks/starters/light bites in Georgia was Nigvziani Badrijani. The traditional Georgian dish consists of thinly sliced fried slices of aubergine rolled up and filled with a generous helping of walnut and garlic paste. It’s often served with a sprinkling of coriander or parsley and some pomegranate seeds.

You’ll see Nigvziani Badrijani on the menu of most restaurants and cafes that serve Georgian cuisine, and it’s really reasonably priced too.  We paid anywhere between 6 and 9 GEL (£1.50-£2.50) for a single portion.

I loved this dish because it’s so simple, delicious everywhere we tried it (and we tried it lots!), really affordable, and filling enough to stave the hunger off for a good few hours.  The best we tried though had to be at Mtevani – next to the tourist information office in Sighnaghi (a pretty little town in Georgia’s wine region).  The portion sizes here were larger than most, too. I think these are enough reasons to consider it as one of the must eat food in Georgia.

Khachapuri

By Rohan of Travels of A Bookpacker

When looking for a classic Georgian dish it’s hard to go past the incredible carb-loaded, cheesy mess that is khachapuri. There are several variations on the dish depending on what region you’re in but the most well-known is the Adjaruli.

It looks like a boat made from bread with an inside of melted cheese, a cracked egg and a healthy dollop of butter on top. It’s usually eaten by mixing the egg, cheese and butter and then tearing off chunks of bread and dipping it into the cheesy mix. The khachapuri isn’t winning any prizes for health food but it is delicious and one of the best Georgian foods to try.

Most traditional restaurants will have khachapuri on the menu and it usually costs around 10GEL depending on the size. There are a few restaurants popping up around Tbilisi that offer a modern take on the traditional dish such as Ostri stew or spinach and cheese served in a khachapuri boat. You just cannot leave the country without tasting this must eat food in Georgia!

Also Read: A photo guide on How To Spend a Day In Tbilsi

Churchkhela

By Emily of Wander-Lush

Churchkhela, AKA ‘Georgian Snickers’, is Georgia’s favourite high-energy snack. Churchkhela is traditionally made from a row of whole nuts (typically walnuts or hazelnuts) sewn together on a piece of string, which is then repeatedly dipped into tatara—a fruit ‘roux’ made from juice, sugar and flour. Once covered, it’s hung and left to set until firm. The colour of the churchkhela depends on the type of fruit used in the roux, with grape being the most popular. The final result resembles a wax candle: But don’t let that put you off. A good churchkhela is soft on the outside, crunchy inside, and absolutely delicious. Etiquette dictates that you remove the string before you start chomping.

The color of the churchkhela depends on the type of fruit used in the roux, with grape being the most popular. The final result resembles a wax candle: But don’t let that put you off. A good churchkhela is soft on the outside, crunchy inside, and absolutely delicious. Etiquette dictates that you remove the string before you start chomping.

You can find churchkhela in just about every gift shop and marketplace in Georgia. In Tbilisi’s old town, there are dozens of shops selling churchkhela of varying quality. One piece costs a couple of lari. In my experience, the best churchkhela are farm-fresh and sold by independent retailers (you can often find their tables set up in parks or outside churches).

The best I tried was at a farm in Kutaisi, where I also got a lesson in how churchkhela is made. After trying it for the first time, I knew it was one of the must eat food in Georgia!

Ostri

By Ellis of Backpack Adventures

One of my favorite dishes in Georgia was Ostri. A spicy beef stew with fresh herbs and spices, cooked to perfection. The dish is rightly popular in the country and every family has its own variation on the recipe that makes it a must eat food in Georgia. The basics of Ostri are a tomato based stew, given a spicy taste, using a little bit of red pepper. More flavor is added by using different spices and herbs, like coriander and parsley

Homemade Ostri is of course the best, but some restaurants do a pretty good job too. It is not often on the menu and when it is, you are lucky and you know what to order. The most delicious Ostri I had, was in Racha in Tbilisi. This traditional budget restaurant is one of the best places in Georgia to try Ostri.

What I love about Ostri is that you can combine it with different accompaniments. I prefer to eat Ostri with rice or potatoes and one of Georgia’s salads. Together they make for a filling and complete meal. Georgian food, and Ostri in particular, is one of the reasons why I can never get enough of Georgia.

Ajika (Adjika)

By Nadine of Le Long Weekend

I ate many incredible things while I was visiting Tbilisi recently, but there was one food that really tantalized my taste buds and left me craving more. Ajika is its name and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t get your hands on some while in Georgia!

Ajika is actually more of a condiment, but it totally transforms whatever you’re eating into a culinary delight. It’s mainly made of hot (red or green) peppers, garlic, herbs, spices and walnuts – but the exact recipe changes depending on where you eat it. I found the red variety to be very tasty, but the green was absolutely incredible! Even though it’s made of hot peppers, it’s not overly spicy.

The best place to try it, if you’re in Tbilisi, is at Culinarium Khasheria where they’ll serve it to you in generous jars. It’s delicious when eaten with a fresh salad, or even just a round of the traditional Georgian corn bread, mchadi. 

Teneli String

By Sarah of Asocial Nomad

You’ll find Teneli String Cheese in most supermarkets and some markets. It just looked exactly like a braid or a plait or cheese. It’s a hard, smoked cheese, created in strings and then braided into a rope. Most packs are vacuum packed and then you’ll definitely need to refrigerate after opening, although my guess is you’ll probably not have any left to store!

This is a fabulous Moorish cheese to consume. The curd is given a hot whey bath, then it’s kneaded or pulled and then stretched thin. It’s matured in brine and then usually smoked too before being braided.

Teneli String is tasty, slightly smoky, and salty – it’s our favorite Georgian snack to have with beer! It’s great to share. You’ll also find this cheese in Armenia where it’s known as Chechil, and you can even buy a stash from amazon.com too!

Also Read: How to go for an ultimate Road Trip Experience in Georgia

Ajapsandali 

By Kamila of My Wanderlust

Georgia is one of the countries where vegetarians don’t need to worry about food. With so many options to choose from most people go for khinkali, khachapuri or lobio, forgetting that there is one more traditional dish, 100% vegetarian, delicious and hearty. It’s ajapsandali – a vegetable stew that is made of onion, eggplant, potato, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, and other seasonings.

Since vegetables are the best in Georgia, fresh and yummy, you can’t go wrong with ajapsandali. The filling stew goes perfectly well with bread and makes a great lunch option that will keep you going for most of the day. Sometimes you can find ajapsandali without potatoes – that makes the dish much lighter yet still delicious. You can order ajapsandali in most of the restaurants serving Georgian food, sometimes the dish goes together with khachapuri.

This is one of the must eat food in Georgia that you absolutely have to try when you visit Georgia. 

Book These Wine Tasting & Food Tours In Georgia To Treat Your Tastebuds!

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Food in Georgia is very affordable, however, if you’re traveling in budget then here are some best ways to eat cheap while traveling. By now, I am sure you must be intrigued to explore the culinary diversity of Georgia and treat your taste buds with all these must-try food in Georgia.

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