Food and wine in Shida Kartli: what to eat and drink

Food in Georgia is generous, fresh and full of herbs, walnuts and spices, and Shida Kartli is one of the country’s great fruit- and wine-growing regions. You will eat very well here, and very cheaply. Here is what to look for.

Dishes to try

• Khinkali: big, twisted dumplings filled with spiced meat and broth. Hold them by the top knot, bite a small hole, drink the juice, then eat the rest, leaving the knot on your plate.
• Mtsvadi: pork or beef grilled on skewers over vine cuttings, served with raw onion and pomegranate.
• Khachapuri: cheese-filled bread. The round Imeruli is the everyday version.
• Lobio: a hearty stew of kidney beans, often served in a clay pot with cornbread and pickles.
• Pkhali: balls of chopped spinach, beetroot or other vegetables mixed with walnuts and herbs.
• Badrijani: fried slices of aubergine rolled around walnut paste.

Bread from the tone

Every town has a small bakery with a tone, a deep round clay oven. The baker slaps long, pointed loaves of shoti bread onto its hot inner walls. Buy one warm from the window; it costs very little and is one of the simple joys of Georgia.

Gori’s fruit

The wide, fertile plain around Gori is Georgia’s orchard. Apples are the most famous crop, along with peaches, plums and cherries. In late summer and autumn, roadside stalls sell fruit by the bucket, as well as churchkhela, strings of walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice.

Nazuki in Surami

Drive west to Surami and you will see women selling nazuki at stalls along the road. It is a slightly sweet, spiced bread, baked in a tone and best eaten warm. It is a favourite stop on the road between Tbilisi and the west of Georgia. See our road trip from Tbilisi to Borjomi.

Wine of the Ateni valley

Georgia has made wine for around 8,000 years, often fermented and aged in qvevri, large clay jars buried in the ground, a method listed by UNESCO. The Ateni valley, south of Gori, is known for Atenuri, a light, fresh white wine made from local grapes such as Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane. Some family wineries and guesthouses in the valley offer tastings. Visit Ateni Sioni and stay for a glass.

The supra

A supra is a Georgian feast, led by a tamada, or toastmaster. Each toast has a theme, such as peace, the family or those who are no longer here, and you drink when the toast is made. If you are invited to one, accept: it is the heart of Georgian hospitality. Pace yourself, especially with chacha, the strong grape spirit.

Tips

• Portions are big. Order a few dishes to share.
• Vegetarians eat well: beans, cheese breads, pkhali, salads and aubergine.
• Many restaurants add a service charge; check the bill before you tip.