👉 Georgian food is one of the most exciting cuisines in the world – and one of the least known. Squeezed between Europe and Asia, the small country of Georgia has created a kitchen full of walnuts, fresh herbs, sour plums, molten cheese and warm spices. In this guide you’ll find the 25 traditional Georgian dishes everyone should try, with step-by-step recipes for most of them.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Tbilisi or want to cook a Georgian feast at home, this is your starting point.
🇬🇪 What Makes Georgian Cuisine Unique?
Georgian cooking sits at the crossroads of the old Silk Road. You’ll taste influences from Persia, Turkey and the Mediterranean, yet the result is unmistakably its own. A few things define it:
- Walnuts everywhere – ground into rich pastes and sauces for vegetables, chicken and fish.
- Fresh herbs by the bunch – cilantro, tarragon, dill, basil and parsley are used like vegetables, not garnish.
- Signature spices – khmeli suneli (a blend of dried herbs and spices), utskho suneli (blue fenugreek), coriander and dried marigold, known as “Imeretian saffron”.
- Sourness – from tkemali plums, pomegranate and wine vinegar, which balances rich meat and nuts.
- Cheese and bread – sulguni and Imeruli cheese, and the famous khachapuri.
- The supra – the Georgian feast, led by a toastmaster (tamada), where dozens of dishes cover the table at once.
🥖 Georgian Breads and Pastries
1. Khachapuri (Imeruli)
Georgia’s national dish: soft bread filled with salty, melted cheese. Georgians eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner – there is even a “khachapuri index” used to compare living costs across Georgian cities. 👉 Recipe: Khachapuri recipe
2. Megruli Khachapuri
The cheesiest version, from Samegrelo in western Georgia. It has cheese inside and an extra layer of golden, bubbling cheese baked on top. 👉 Recipe: Megruli Khachapuri recipe
3. Adjaruli Khachapuri
The famous boat-shaped khachapuri from the Black Sea region of Adjara, filled with cheese and topped with a runny egg yolk and a knob of butter that you stir in at the table.
4. Lobiani
Golden bread stuffed with a buttery, spiced kidney-bean filling – traditionally eaten on St. Barbara’s Day in December, but loved all year round. 👉 Recipe: Lobiani recipe
5. Kubdari
A juicy meat pie from the mountain region of Svaneti, filled with hand-chopped beef and pork seasoned with the famous Svan salt. 👉 Recipe: Kubdari recipe
6. Mchadi
Simple cornbread cakes made from cornmeal, water and salt – crispy outside, soft inside, and naturally gluten-free. The perfect partner for lobio and pkhali. 👉 Recipe: Mchadi recipe
🥗 Appetizers and Walnut Dishes
7. Pkhali
Colorful vegetable “balls” made from spinach, beetroot or cabbage mixed with garlicky walnut paste and topped with pomegranate seeds. Naturally vegan. 👉 Recipe: Pkhali recipe
8. Badrijani Nigvzit
Fried eggplant slices rolled around a spiced walnut filling – one of the first dishes to appear on every Georgian feast table. 👉 Recipe: Badrijani Nigvzit recipe
9. Elarji
A stretchy, cheesy cornmeal dish from Samegrelo – think of it as Georgian polenta with lots of melted sulguni. 👉 Recipe: Elarji recipe
10. Ajapsandali
A colorful summer stew of eggplant, peppers and tomatoes with garlic and fresh herbs – often called the Georgian ratatouille. 👉 Recipe: Ajapsandali recipe
🍲 Soups and Stews
11. Kharcho
A thick, warming beef soup with rice, ground walnuts, sour tkemali and spices. One of the most famous Georgian soups. 👉 Recipe: Kharcho recipe
12. Chikhirtma
A silky chicken soup thickened with eggs and brightened with vinegar and herbs – Georgia’s legendary hangover cure after a long supra. 👉 Recipe: Chikhirtma recipe
13. Chakapuli
Lamb stewed in white wine with mountains of fresh tarragon and sour green plums. The classic Georgian Easter dish. 👉 Recipe: Chakapuli recipe
14. Chashushuli
A spicy stew of tender beef, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and herbs, traditionally served bubbling in a clay ketsi. 👉 Recipe: Chashushuli recipe
15. Lobio
Creamy red kidney beans cooked with onions, herbs and spices and served in a clay pot – simple, cheap and deeply satisfying. 👉 Recipe: Lobio recipe
🍖 Meat and Main Dishes
16. Khinkali
Georgia’s famous soup dumplings, filled with spiced meat and broth. Hold them by the twisted top, bite carefully and sip the juices first – and never eat the top knot!
17. Mtsvadi
Georgian shashlik: juicy pork skewers grilled over glowing coals, ideally of dried grapevine branches, and served with raw onion and pomegranate. 👉 Recipe: Mtsvadi recipe
18. Ojakhuri
The “family dish”: juicy pork and crispy fried potatoes tossed with onions, garlic and khmeli suneli. 👉 Recipe: Ojakhuri recipe
19. Chicken Satsivi
Chicken served cold in a thick, aromatic walnut sauce with garlic, fenugreek and marigold – the star of the Georgian New Year table. 👉 Recipe: Chicken Satsivi recipe
20. Shkmeruli
Crispy chicken baked in a creamy garlic and milk sauce, from the Racha region. Garlic lovers, this one is for you. 👉 Recipe: Shkmeruli recipe
🫙 Georgian Sauces
21. Tkemali
A tangy sour plum sauce with garlic, dill and pennyroyal – Georgia’s answer to ketchup, served with grilled meat and potatoes. 👉 Recipe: Tkemali recipe
22. Ajika
A fiery red chili paste with garlic, coriander and blue fenugreek. A small spoonful adds heat and depth to almost anything. 👉 Recipe: Ajika recipe
🍯 Georgian Sweets
23. Churchkhela
Strings of walnuts dipped again and again in thickened grape juice and dried – the “Georgian Snickers” sold at every market. 👉 Recipe: Churchkhela recipe
24. Gozinaki
Walnuts cooked in honey and cut into diamonds – the traditional Georgian New Year sweet that is said to bring a sweet year ahead. 👉 Recipe: Gozinaki recipe
25. Pelamushi
A soft, jelly-like pudding made from grape juice and flour – the same mixture used to coat churchkhela, served in bowls with walnuts on top.
🍷 Don’t Forget the Wine
Georgia is one of the oldest wine-making regions in the world, with around 8,000 years of history. Wine is traditionally fermented in large clay vessels called qvevri, buried in the ground. Try a dry red Saperavi with mtsvadi or chashushuli, and an amber (orange) Rkatsiteli with walnut dishes and khachapuri.
🛒 Essential Georgian Pantry Ingredients
- Khmeli suneli – the classic Georgian spice blend.
- Utskho suneli – blue fenugreek, with a nutty, sweet aroma.
- Walnuts – buy plenty; they are in sauces, stuffings and sweets.
- Sulguni and Imeruli cheese – substitute mozzarella mixed with feta.
- Tkemali – bottled sour plum sauce, available in Eastern European shops.
- Fresh herbs – cilantro, tarragon, dill and basil.
❓ Georgian Food FAQ
What is the national dish of Georgia?
Khachapuri (cheese bread) is considered the national dish, with khinkali (dumplings) a close second.
Is Georgian food spicy?
Most dishes are aromatic rather than hot. Heat usually comes from ajika or fresh chili, which you can add to taste.
Is Georgian food vegetarian-friendly?
Very. Thanks to Orthodox fasting traditions, there are many vegan dishes, such as pkhali, badrijani nigvzit, lobio and ajapsandali.
What should I eat first in Georgia?
Start with khachapuri, khinkali, badrijani nigvzit and mtsvadi – then work your way through this list!
👉 See all our Georgian recipes: https://cuisinesguide.com/recipe-cuisine/georgian-cuisine/
👉 Learn more: Georgian cuisine – Wikipedia
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