Six essential things to eat and drink in Georgia — written by a local operator who runs food tours weekly. Each guide covers what it is, where to try it, and how to eat it like a Georgian.
Georgia's mountain dumpling — spiced broth sealed inside a hand-twisted top-knot.
Georgia's national cheese bread — five regional versions, each a different meal.
Georgia's grilled pork skewer — cooked over grapevine embers, seasoned with only salt and onion.
Georgia's oldest snack — walnuts on a string, dipped in thickened grape juice.
Georgia's ritualized feast — hours of food, wine, and toasts led by a tamada.
The world's oldest wine tradition — 8,000 years old, fermented in clay qvevri underground.
Georgian cuisine sits at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia — but it was shaped mostly by two things: an 8,000-year unbroken wine tradition and a highland climate that rewards heavy, spiced, cheese- and meat-forward cooking. Nothing tastes quite like it anywhere else.
Three ingredients define nearly every Georgian dish: walnuts (in sauces, pastes, and desserts), sulguni or Imeruli cheese (in breads and salads), and a spice blend called khmeli suneli (blue fenugreek, coriander, marigold, and dill). Once you learn to spot them, you understand the whole cuisine.
The best way to actually taste this cuisine — not the restaurant version — is on a supra: a multi-hour feast at a village guesthouse in Kakheti (wine country), Svaneti (mountain cuisine), or Racha. We run these regularly.
→ Kakheti wine tour with supra lunch
→ Day tours from Tbilisi (many include a food stop)