According to Georgian legend, when God was distributing land among the peoples of the world, the Georgians were so busy eating and drinking that they lost their place in the queue and there was no land left for them. But when they invited God to join the party, he enjoyed himself so immensely he gave them all the choicest bits of land he had been saving for himself. Georgians pride themselves, with some justification, on being the
bons viveurs of the former Soviet Union, and their culinary tradition has survived better than most the dead hand of Soviet mass-catering. The cuisine makes extensive
use of walnuts, which are used to thicken soups and sauces (anything including the word
satsivi will be served in a rich sauce flavored with herbs, garlic, walnuts and egg). Cafes, restaurants and street-food traditions are all better established in Georgia than in many of the other former Soviet republics, and the markets are full of locally grown fruit and vegetables. Privately run restaurants, cafes and bars, which began to thrive during the Gorbachev period, were badly hit by the post-independence breakdown of civil order, but in recent times have begun to bounce back. The future looks bright.
Things to know: Over 500 original varieties of grape are grown here, more than any other country. Both red and white wine is produced in Georgia.
National specialties:
• Meals usually start with an array of hot and cold dishes which may include spicy grilled liver and other offal.
• Walnuts feature in sauces and soups. They are also used in desserts, coated in caramelized sugar,
gozinaki, or in
churchkhela, when they are threaded on string then dipped in thickened, sweetened grape juice which is subsequently dried into chewy, flavorsome ‘candles’.
• There is less emphasis on lamb to the exclusion of other kinds of meat than in other parts of the Caucasus. Roast suckling pig is often served, and beef and chicken are grilled or casseroled in various sauces, one of the commonest forms being
chakhokhbili, a stew involving herbs, tomatoes and paprika.
• Lobio, a bean and walnut salad.
• Marinated aubergines,
pkhali, made from young spinach leaves pounded together with spices.
• Khachapuri, consisting of layers of flat bread alternated with melting cheese.
• Basturma, cured meat and assorted fresh and pickled vegetables.
National drinks:
•
Kindzmareuli, a fruity, red wine, is reputed to have been Stalin’s favorite tipple.
•
Akhasheni and
Teliani are two of the commoner red wines, fruity and dry respectively.
•
Tsinandali is a dry white wine, as is
Gurdzhaani.
Tipping: For service in restaurants, cafes or taxis, the bill is usually rounded up
NightlifeNightlife in the republic is to be found primarily in international hotels although there are some bars and restaurants in Tbilisi. The
Georgian State Dancers are highly praised but only occasionally to be glimpsed in Tbilisi, being almost constantly on tour. The
Rustaveli Georgian Drama Theater also has a good reputation and is particularly renowned for its Shakespeare productions. The Georgian folk theater
Nabadi holds performances depicting the history of the country in modern and traditional forms.
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