Great Place, Food & People- Georgia

In continuation with my previous post ” Glorious Georgia “which was about places we visited , here is my 2nd post on food & the people…

Really trip would be incomplete if I don’t mention Food & People in post of Georgia .

Food— In Georgia you’ll easily find open cafes , restaurants . Their cooking style is unique, rich, seasoned with traditional spices & herbs. Mainly they prefer heavy, all kinds of meat & wine focused food .

Being vegetarian we had less options as but tried variety of dishes in 7 days. In 1-2 days we understood very well what veg options we could order .

Thick bread & cheese are staple food and they use eggplant , nuts(Walnuts) in almost all vegetarian dishes. So expect 2-3 kg weight gain & increased iron level after trip. 🤩🤩

Here are few options for Vegetarians that you must try.

Khacha Puri- Cheese stuffed bread traditional appetizer , kind of pizza. 🍕 This dish you’ll find in everywhere. Like pizza or sandwiches or roll you’ll find many variations in size & shape but you’ll definitely love it. Even raw egg & butter added on the top of eye shaped bread.

Khinkali– Georgian dumpling(momos) stuffed with meat & spices. 🥟 But we asked hotel to make with mashed potatoes & cheese.

Lobio(Pot of beans)–Thick little spicy gravy of Rajma(red kidney beans) served in clay pots. 🍯This dish goes very well with rice(if available) & bread. If this dish not in menu card you can asked for eggplant slices in walnut gravy (Badrijani Nigvjit).

Pkhali– Favorite Georgian dish that has many different types. Main ingredient is Walnuts & for colour spinach, cabbage, beetroot & other leafy vegetables are added with spices. Garnished with pomegranate seeds, this colourful spread/dip you would definitely ask for more.

Eggplant Rolls –Eggplant with walnut is another dry dish which is very famous and very tempting starter!!

Salads, Mexican potatoes, Pizza, french fries, Veg barbecue, soups are very common. Sometimes you’ll find food(mostly soups) is bland in taste but I guess that’s their cooking style.

Georgia, very rich & fertile country. Fruits, vegetables & dry fruits are so natural & have incredible taste .

Home gardens, farms are adorned with all kinds of fruits. Homemade jams, syrups, honey, spices & sauces are pretty common. Let your taste buds experience this delicacy & freshness of raw food.

Street vendors are everywhere selling fruits, fresh juices, berries, coffee & ice creams. Just 1cup of berries/juice & you’re fully re charged for the next sight.

Main thing you’ll find in all shops are Churchkhela, a long colorful candy made with walnuts, hazelnuts coated with thick grape juice & flour.

Fruit leather/Tklapi (Fruit Roll-ups) – One more healthy sweet/sour snack like a thin bread(chapati)made with different fruit juices . Juices are spread thinly onto a sheet & sun dried . Irina got 2 bags of grapes & apple-plum mixed fruit rolls from her home. It was really addictive!!

Wine – Just like water you’ll get Wine in every shop. Georgia has lots of wine varieties & wine lovers won’t be disappointed.🤗🍻🍻

People– The people over there are very friendly, honest , kind & always smiling. They are blessed with beauty & simplicity. Even though we were guests they treated us as their family.

On the first day in our restaurant, live music was going on and some people were dancing and we found it different but on the second day we realized that it was normal and part of their culture . So we joined them and we all danced together. it was quite fun and new!!

The people over there are very relaxed and calm. The vendors did not get angry if we chose another stall or refused to buy something from them . No cheating, no arguing, no hurry & very very honest with their profession. We had a great time interacting with them specially with George & Irina.

Tips:-

There is much walking in Georgia , cobblestone road , mountainous area so please carry comfortable pair of shoes.
There is dress code for church/monastery so keep our scarf/stole handy.
If having kids take stroller with you, even if roads are not stroller friendly you can use it in city, parks & walking tours. Ask your guide before getting down then decide to carry it or not to the spot.
Skip caves if small kids are there as difficult to climb. Prefer garden, park, zoo instead.
This country is very safe , people here are honest.
If planning to drive, both right hand & left hand drive car are allowed.
Hotel, travel & food are not too expensive. This country is gaining popularity in recent years.
Travel insurance is must & carry all documents of residential proof of your country.
Weather is little unpredictable. In kazbegi you must take warm jacket/shawl with you. Temperature was pretty normal in other cities.
Summer & Winter sights are different.

Lovely company of friends added more fun & enjoyment to our wonderful tour. Literally we did everything from singing, dancing, jumping, boating ,playing games …………..

We will surely visit this Dreamy Land again in winter to explore more .

Miq’var khar 💕!!

Didi Madloba💐💐!!