These can be ordered at any restaurant, along with some foreign-derived foods like kababi (kebab usually made from ground beef and often wrapped in flatbread), salati (salad of tomato, cucumber, and onion, with herbs) and kartophili phris (fried potatoes).
At home, Georgians usually eat three meals per day. Breakfast is served in the morning and consists of cold foods - bread, butter, honey, cheese, and maybe some sausage or cured meat - with tea or coffee. Dinner is served in the late afternoon and is the main meal of the day.
Typical dinner foods are stews, roast chicken, fried eggs, fish, bread, cheese, potatoes, and vegetable dishes that depend heavily on what is in season. Many Georgians drink homemade wine with dinner but not every day. The third meal is supper, which is usually a light meal and usually consists of bread, cheese, cured meats, and dinner leftovers.
Georgian food is healthy and natural for the most part. Most Georgians buy their groceries at bazaars or farmers' markets, so produce is mostly fresh and in season, meat and eggs are organic and free-range by default, and cheese is handmade using traditional Georgian methods.
Religious Georgians obey dietary restrictions for Orthodox fast days - they will not eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, and effectively follow a vegan diet for almost half the year. Vegetarians and vegans will find that there are many options in Georgia to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.
Westerners may find the flavor profile of Georgian food very different. Georgian foods tend to be heavier and saltier than Continental foods. Georgians also make extensive use of herbs and spices like coriander, caraway, and dill. Certain regions, like Samegrelo, are known for very spicy dishes.
Georgian deserts tend to be less sweet than Western deserts. Dry cakes and cookies are prominent, as are chocolates and hard candies. Elaborate layer cakes with sweet fillings are widely available but can be expensive.
In Tbilisi there is a wide variety of foreign food available. The most common foreign food is shaurma - the Georgian version of shawarma, döner, or gyro - which can be found at numerous stands all over the city. Georgia's capital also boasts Indian, Thai, Italian, German, Chinese, Mexican, and American restaurants, among others.
Each region of Georgia has its own specialty dishes and its own take on Georgian national dishes. For example, khachapuri comes in at least ten varieties, the most common being imeruli (from Imereti), megruli (from Samegrelo), and atcharuli (from Adjara). Finally, each season has its own special foods - from winter's Turkey Satsivi to summer's Chakapuli - that Georgians look forward to year-round.
Overall, eating in Georgia can be an amazing and unforgettable experience. For most visitors, the biggest challenge is not eating too much!
Neal Zupancic
Footprints' Teacher in Georgia
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