Local Dishes

30 phrases · Georgian with romanization, English and audio

  1. ხინკალი

    Khink'ali

    Khinkali (boiled Georgian dumplings)

    Usage

    It is a boiled dough parcel filled with finely chopped meat, ხაჭო (curd) or potato. Meat versions contain wheat and meat; curd versions wheat and dairy. Eaten by hand, and the knot at the top is usually left on the plate. Ordered by the piece

  2. ხაჭაპური

    Khach'ap'uri

    Khachapuri (cheese-filled bread)

    Usage

    It is bread with a ყველი (cheese) or ხაჭო (curd) filling. Contains wheat and dairy. The shape differs by region, and menus name the region: იმერული, აჭარული, მეგრული

  3. აჭარული ხაჭაპური

    Ach'aruli khach'ap'uri

    Adjarian khachapuri (boat-shaped, topped with egg and butter)

    Usage

    An open boat of dough served with a raw egg and butter in the middle. You break the egg into the cheese yourself and dip torn pieces of the rim. Contains wheat, dairy and egg

  4. იმერული ხაჭაპური

    Imeruli khach'ap'uri

    Imeretian khachapuri (round and flat, cheese sealed inside)

    Usage

    Round and flat, with the cheese sealed completely inside the dough. The most common form; it is cut into wedges and shared. Contains wheat and dairy

  5. ლობიანი

    Lobiani

    Lobiani (bean-filled bread)

    Usage

    It is bread filled with ლობიო (beans) seasoned with fat. Often made without dairy, so it works as an alternative when cheese is a problem. Contains wheat

  6. მჭადი

    Mch'adi

    Mchadi (cornmeal flatbread)

    Usage

    It is a flat cake baked from სიმინდის ფქვილი (cornmeal). It contains no wheat, which makes it useful when avoiding wheat. Served alongside ლობიო and ყველი

  7. ჭვიშტარი

    Ch'visht'ari

    Chvishtari (mchadi with cheese kneaded in)

    Usage

    It is the variant of მჭადი with cheese mixed into the dough. Contains cornmeal and dairy

  8. ელარჯი

    Elarji

    Elarji (corn porridge kneaded with a lot of sulguni cheese)

    Usage

    A dish from the Samegrelo region. A large amount of სულგუნი is worked into ღომი, the thick porridge of corn grits and cornmeal, which makes it highly elastic and stringy. Contains a great deal of dairy

  9. ღომი

    Ghomi

    Ghomi (thick corn porridge)

    Usage

    The second sense is a thick porridge-like food made from ღომი grain or from corn grits and cornmeal. It arrives as the starch of the meal in place of rice or bread. The first sense is the cereal plant itself, so at a market the word may get you the grain

  10. კუბდარი

    K'ubdari

    Kubdari (Svan pie filled with meat)

    Usage

    It is a traditional Svan pie made with meat. It looks like ხაჭაპური but the filling is meat, not cheese. Contains wheat and meat

  11. მწვადი

    Mts'vadi

    Mtsvadi (meat grilled on a skewer)

    Usage

    It is meat grilled on a შამფური (skewer). Lamb or pork are the traditional meats, and pork is the usual choice, so always ask which meat if you avoid pork

  12. საცივი

    Satsivi

    Satsivi (chicken or turkey in walnut sauce, served cold)

    Usage

    It is a thick turkey or chicken broth seasoned with ნიგოზი (walnut), vinegar and spices, eaten cold. Being cold is intentional, not a mistake. Note the nuts if you have a nut allergy

  13. ჩახოხბილი

    Chakhokhbili

    Chakhokhbili (poultry braised with onion and tomato)

    Usage

    It is poultry braised down in onion and tomato. Originally made with ხოხობი (pheasant), now made with chicken. It comes with sauce, so პური is served with it

  14. ჩაქაფული

    Chakapuli

    Chakapuli (lamb or veal stewed with tarragon and white wine)

    Usage

    It is stewed lamb or veal seasoned with ტარხუნა (tarragon) leaves, ტყემალი, dry white wine, ქინძი (coriander), garlic and salt. A spring dish; note the wine if you avoid alcohol

  15. ჩაშუშული

    Chashushuli

    Chashushuli (veal seared, then stewed with tomatoes)

    Usage

    In the classic recipe ხბოს ხორცი (veal) is first seared and then boiled together with tomatoes. Usually served bubbling in a clay pot

  16. ხარჩო

    Kharcho

    Kharcho (beef soup with rice and walnut)

    Usage

    It is a traditional soup with საქონლის ხორცი (beef), rice, ტყემალი and chopped walnut, eaten with finely chopped fresh ქინძი

  17. ჩიხირთმა

    Chikhirtma

    Chikhirtma (chicken soup thickened with beaten egg)

    Usage

    It is a chicken or lamb soup seasoned with beaten egg, flour, onion and vinegar. It has almost no vegetable base. Contains egg and wheat

  18. ხაში

    Khashi

    Khashi (soup of boiled tripe, intestines and trotters)

    Usage

    It is a soup made from boiled ფაშვი (rumen), intestines and the lower legs of cattle and sheep. Skip it if you dislike offal. Also said as ნივრიანი ხაში, khashi with garlic

  19. ლობიო

    Lobio

    Lobio (stewed beans)

    Usage

    The second sense is a dish made from ლობიო (beans); examples: ქოთნის ლობიო (in a clay pot) and ნიგვზიანი ლობიო (with walnut). Usually made without meat or dairy and served with მჭადი

  20. ფხალი

    Pkhali

    Pkhali (chopped greens dressed with walnut)

    Usage

    ფხალი is the dialect form of მხალი, food made from garden or field greens; examples: ჭინჭრის მხალი (nettle) and კომბოსტოს მხალი (cabbage). Which green is used varies by the shop, so point and ask

  21. ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზით

    Badrijani nigvzit

    Badrijani nigvzit (aubergine rolls with walnut paste)

    Usage

    It is a dish of ბადრიჯანი (aubergine), ნიგოზი (walnut), garlic and spices. Served cold as a starter. Avoid it with a nut allergy

    Grammar Note

    The ending "-it" is the instrumental case, "by means of". ნიგოზი loses a vowel in inflection and becomes ნიგვზ-

  22. აჯაფსანდალი

    Ajapsandali

    Ajapsandali (stewed aubergine and potato)

    Usage

    It is a dish of ბადრიჯანი (aubergine), კარტოფილი (potato), tomato, pepper and spices. No meat or dairy, which makes it an easy vegetarian order

  23. კუპატი

    K'up'at'i

    Kupati (sausage stuffed with meat or offal)

    Usage

    It is intestine stuffed with very finely chopped, seasoned meat or offal. Examples: შემწვარი კუპატი (fried) and ღორის კუპატი (pork). Ask which meat if you avoid pork

  24. კუჭმაჭი

    K'uch'mach'i

    Kuchmachi (offal with walnut and pomegranate seeds)

    Usage

    It is the stomach and intestines of pig, cow or poultry. As a dish it uses chicken liver and heart, dressed with ნიგოზი and ბროწეული (pomegranate) seeds. Offal — skip it if that is not for you

  25. სულგუნი

    Sulguni

    Sulguni (Georgian stretched-curd cheese)

    Usage

    It is a type of ყველი, boiled in milk and kneaded. Example: შემწვარი სულგუნი, pan-fried sulguni. It is also the filling of ხაჭაპური and ელარჯი. A smoked version, შებოლილი სულგუნი, is sold too

  26. შოთი

    Shoti

    Shoti (long bread baked in a clay oven)

    Usage

    It is a long bread baked in a თონე (clay oven); for example ცხელი შოთი, hot shoti. A curved loaf with a thick spine, thin edge and pointed ends. The form შოთის პური is also used

  27. ნაზუქი

    Nazuki

    Nazuki (milk-dough bread glazed with egg)

    Usage

    It is bread kneaded with milk, glazed with egg and baked in a თონე. Sold in bundles at roadside stalls. Contains wheat, dairy and egg

  28. ტყემალი

    T'q'emali

    Tkemali (sour plum sauce)

    Usage

    The third sense is the საწებელი (sauce) made from the fruit; the first two senses are the fruit and the tree, so at a market the word may get you fresh plums. It comes in red and yellow versions and is served with მწვადი

  29. აჯიკა

    Ajik'a

    Ajika (hot pepper and garlic paste)

    Usage

    It is a hot seasoning mix of ცხარე წიწაკა (chilli), garlic, spices and herbs. It is genuinely hot, so start with a little even when it is already on the table

  30. სვანური მარილი

    Svanuri marili

    Svan salt (salt blended with spices)

    Usage

    It is a traditional salt blended with spices, made in Svaneti. Sold in bags at markets and taken home as a souvenir. Much more strongly flavoured than plain salt, so use less

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