Somerville, Mass - Since Georgia has been in the news, I decided to post on topic. I may not know much about politics, but I do know a thing or two about Georgian food and wine. This excerpt comes from the Moscow City Guide.
According to Georgian legend, God took a supper break while creating the world. He became so involved with his meal that he inadvertently tripped over the high peaks of the Caucasus, spilling his food onto the land below. The land blessed by Heaven's table scraps was Georgia.
Georgian Food
Moscow is the best place outside the Caucasus to sample the rich, spicy cuisine of Georgia. This fertile region - wedged between East and West - has long been the beneficiary (and victim) of passing merchants and raiders. These influences are evident in Georgian cooking, which shows glimpses of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours.
The truly Georgian elements - the differences - are what make this cuisine so delectable. Most notably, many meat and vegetable dishes use ground walnuts or walnut oil as an integral ingredient, yielding a distinctive rich, nutty flavour. Also characteristic is the mix of spices, khmeli-suneli, which combines coriander, garlic, chillies, pepper and savoury with a saffron substitute made from dried marigold petals.
Georgian chefs love to prepare their food over an open flame, and grilled meat is certainly among the most beloved items on any Georgian menu. Traditionally, however, meat was reserved for special occasions, and daily meals revolved around vegetables and greens. The fertile Georgian soil yields green beans, tomatoes, eggplants, mushrooms and garlic, all of which make their delicious way to the table. Herbs such as coriander, dill, parsley and green onions are often served fresh, with no preparation or sauce - a palate-cleansing counterpoint to the other rich dishes. Fruits such as grapes and pomegranates show up not only as dessert, but also as tart complements to roasted meats.
Here are a few tried-and-true Georgian favourites to get you started when faced with an incomprehensible menu:
Basturma Marinated, grilled meat, usually beef or lamb.
Buglama Beef or veal stew with tomatoes, dill and garlic.
Chakhokhbili Slow-cooked chicken with herbs and vegetables.
Chikhirtmi Lemony, chicken soup.
Khachi puri Rich, cheesy bread, made with sour or salty cheese and served hot.
Kharcho Thick, spicy beef soup made from stale bread soaked in yogurt.
Khinkali Dumplings stuffed with lamb or a mixture of beef and pork.
Lavash Flat bread used to wrap cheese, tomatoes, herbs or meat.
Mkhali A vegetable puree with herbs and walnuts, most often made with beets or spinach.
Pakhlava A walnut pastry similar to baklava, but made with sour-cream dough.
Shilaplavi Rice pilaf, often with potatoes.
Tolmas Vegetables (often tomatoes, eggplant or grape leaves) stuffed with beef.
Georgian Wines
Wine is an essential part of any Georgian meal. At all but the most informal occasions, Georgians call on a tamada, or toastmaster, to ensure that glasses are raised and drinks topped up throughout the meal.
Georgian vintners utilise a process that is different from their European and New World counterparts. The grapes are fermented together with skins and stems, then stored in clay jugs, resulting in a flavour specific to the Caucasus. Noteworthy Georgian wines:
Kindzmarauli A sickeningly sweet, blood-red wine which, appropriately enough, was the favourite of Stalin.
Mukuzani A rather tannic red; it is the best known and oldest Georgian wine.
Saperavi A dark, full-bodied red produced from grapes of the same name.
Tsinandali Pale and fruity, the most popular Georgian white.
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