👉 If you are ever invited to a Georgian supra, cancel your plans for the rest of the evening. A supra is not just a dinner – it is a long, joyful feast with dozens of dishes, rivers of wine, singing and a series of heartfelt toasts led by a toastmaster called the tamada. Here is everything you need to know: what a supra is, how the toasts work, what is on the table and how to bring a little bit of it into your own kitchen.
🇬🇪 What Is a Supra?
The word supra (სუფრა) literally means “tablecloth”. It is the name Georgians give to a traditional feast – for a wedding, a birthday, a christening, the arrival of a guest from far away, or simply a Sunday with friends. A small, spontaneous gathering might last two or three hours; a big celebration can go on long into the night.
There are two kinds of supra:
- Keipi – a joyful, celebratory feast (weddings, birthdays, holidays).
- Kelekhi – a memorial meal held after a funeral, quieter and more solemn.
What makes a supra special is not only the food. It is the idea that the table brings people together: guests are honoured, the dead are remembered, friendships are renewed. Georgians like to say that a guest is a gift from God, and the supra is how that gift is celebrated.
🥂 The Tamada: Georgia’s Toastmaster
Every supra has a tamada – a toastmaster chosen for his (or, more and more often, her) wit, warmth and ability to hold a glass of wine for a very long time. The tamada leads the evening: he proposes each toast, gives a short speech, and decides when it is time to eat, sing or move on.
Guests do not drink whenever they like. You wait for the toast, listen, and then drink together. Saying “Gaumarjos!” (გაუმარჯოს – “victory to…”) is the Georgian version of “Cheers!”.
The order of the toasts
Every region and family has its own order, but a typical supra will include toasts like these:
- To peace – often the very first toast.
- To the reason for the gathering – the newlyweds, the birthday person, the guest.
- To Georgia – the homeland.
- To those who are no longer with us – a quiet moment of remembrance.
- To parents and ancestors.
- To women and mothers.
- To children – the future.
- To friendship, love, the hosts… and many more.
After the tamada speaks, he can pass the toast to another guest with the word “alaverdi”. That person then adds their own words on the same theme. This is how a single toast can go around half the table – and why a supra takes hours.
On special occasions the most important toasts are drunk from a kantsi, a drinking horn that cannot be put down until it is empty. Be warned!
🍽️ What Is on a Supra Table?
A Georgian table is never “set” in the Western sense, with one course after another. Instead, plates are piled on top of each other until there is no tablecloth visible, and new dishes keep arriving all evening. An empty table is considered embarrassing for the hosts – so if you clean your plate, it will be filled again.
Cold dishes and starters
- Pkhali – vegetable and walnut balls topped with pomegranate seeds. 👉 Spinach pkhali recipe
- Badrijani nigvzit – fried eggplant rolls filled with garlicky walnut paste. 👉 Badrijani recipe
- Fresh herbs – a whole plate of tarragon, cilantro, basil, dill and spring onions, eaten by the handful.
- Cheese – sulguni and imeruli, plain or smoked.
- Pickles – especially jonjoli (pickled bladdernut flowers) and pickled green tomatoes.
Breads
- Khachapuri – the famous cheese bread, cut into wedges. 👉 Khachapuri recipe · Megruli khachapuri
- Lobiani – bread stuffed with spiced beans. 👉 Lobiani recipe
- Mchadi – small cornbread cakes, perfect with cheese and lobio. 👉 Mchadi recipe
- Shoti – canoe-shaped bread baked on the walls of a round clay oven called a tone.
Hot dishes
- Mtsvadi – pork or lamb skewers grilled over vine cuttings. 👉 Mtsvadi recipe
- Khinkali – juicy soup dumplings, eaten by hand. 👉 Khinkali recipe (and how to eat them)
- Lobio – red bean stew served in a clay pot. 👉 Lobio recipe
- Chakapuli or chashushuli – herby or spicy meat stews. 👉 Chakapuli · Chashushuli
- Satsivi – chicken in walnut sauce, a must for New Year. 👉 Satsivi recipe
Sauces and something sweet
- Tkemali – sour plum sauce for meat and potatoes. 👉 Tkemali recipe
- Ajika – fiery red pepper paste. 👉 Ajika recipe
- Churchkhela – walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice. 👉 Churchkhela recipe
- Gozinaki – honey and walnut brittle. 👉 Gozinaki recipe
🍷 Wine and Song
Georgia is one of the oldest wine regions in the world, with a winemaking tradition that goes back about 8,000 years. Many families still make their own wine in qvevri – large clay vessels buried in the ground. At a supra, homemade wine is poured from jugs, and the most common choices are dry whites like Rkatsiteli and reds like Saperavi.
Between toasts, the men (and often everyone) start to sing. Georgian polyphonic singing – three voices weaving together without instruments – is so special that UNESCO lists it as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Songs like “Mravalzhamieri” (“many years”) are sung to wish long life to the guests.
🤝 Supra Etiquette for Guests
- Don’t drink between toasts. Wait for the tamada. Water and lemonade are fine anytime.
- Listen to the toasts. Chatting during a toast is rude.
- Try a little of everything. Your hosts will keep offering – it is fine to say you are full, but say it with a smile.
- You don’t have to empty your glass. A sip is enough for most toasts; just raise your glass with everyone else.
- If you are given the alaverdi, say a few warm words – it doesn’t have to be long. Thanking the hosts is always a good choice.
- Never leave too early. Leaving before the last toasts can feel like leaving in the middle of a story.
🏡 How to Host a Mini Supra at Home
You don’t need forty dishes to bring the spirit of a supra to your table. Here is a simple menu for 6–8 friends that you can make in an afternoon:
- Starters: spinach pkhali, a big plate of fresh herbs, cheese and pickles.
- Bread: one khachapuri or a batch of mchadi.
- Main: mtsvadi from the grill or oven-baked shkmeruli. 👉 Chicken shkmeruli recipe
- Side: lobio in a clay pot.
- Sauce: tkemali for the meat.
- Sweet: churchkhela or gozinaki with tea.
Choose a tamada among your friends, give them a list of toasts, and remember the most important rule: nobody leaves the table hungry.
❓ Supra FAQ
How long does a Georgian supra last?
A small family supra may last 2–3 hours. A wedding or big celebration can easily go on for 6 hours or more.
What does “gaumarjos” mean?
It is the Georgian word for “cheers” and literally means “victory to…” – as in “victory to you” or “to our health”.
Can a woman be a tamada?
Traditionally the tamada was a man, but today women often lead the toasts, especially at family and friends’ gatherings.
Do I have to drink alcohol at a supra?
No. Just raise your glass of water, juice or lemonade during the toasts. Georgian tarragon lemonade is a popular choice.
What is the difference between a supra and a keipi?
Supra is the general word for a feast; keipi is a celebratory supra, while kelekhi is a memorial supra.
👉 Want to cook your way through the whole table? Read our guide to Georgian food: 25 traditional dishes you must try and browse all Georgian recipes.
