What You Eat in Georgia
Now that Wie is de Mol? is taking place in Georgia, the whole of the Netherlands suddenly seems to want to visit this as-yet-unknown country. Who the mole is, we couldn’t care less. You can also eat incredibly well in Georgia. We would definitely travel to Eastern Europe for these dishes.
Khachapuri
This perfectly gooey bread boat with cheese (see photo above) is the most famous Georgian dish. Still, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of it, even here. It is served with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter on top, which you then stir into the cheese. Then you take a piece of the super-fluffy bread and dip it into the cheese mixture. The cheeses you need to use are difficult to find here, but mozzarella and strong feta will get you a long way.
Khachapuri tarkhunit
More bread, more cheese. Khachapuri tarkhunit is cheese bread with tarragon. You eat it in the same way as adjaruli khachapuri, like a kind of cheese fondue. Besides tarragon, you can also add other herbs.
Kubdari
Instead of cheese, this bread is filled with finely chopped meat, herbs and spices. It doesn’t matter all that much which meat you use; it can be lamb, beef, goat, pork or even a mixture. For example, use this recipe; you can replace the lamb with another type of meat. The herbs and spices are not always the same either.
Khinkali
Okay, they don’t eat only bread and cheese in Georgia. Khinkali are large dumplings filled with lots of seasoned meat and hot broth. Exactly what goes inside varies by region, but a combination of ground beef and pork is the most popular. You don’t eat the top of the dumpling; that part is only meant to hold the dumpling.
Chicken under a brick
Because chicken under a brick sounds so dull. This whole chicken is fried in a great deal of butter while covered with something heavy. This way, the chicken is ready quickly, yet remains crispy and not dry. You eat it with a garlic and coriander sauce. Read here how to make this Georgian chicken at home.
Badridzhani Nigvsit
Eggplant is one of our favorite vegetables. We would therefore definitely like to try this Georgian version with walnut sauce. The sauce is a little like pesto and goes well with pomegranate seeds.
