Georgia has been known for centuries for its cuisine. Many dishes invariably cause the majority to associate with the country, friendly and nice people who are rich and tasty ready to feed any guest.
Georgia’s location has allowed it to develop areas such as winemaking, grow a lot of fruits and vegetables. All thanks to the soft and moderate subtropical climate, because the country is between two conflicting continents – Europe and Asia.
What are the territorial differences in the dishes of this the kitchen?
Suramsky pass played a large role in the development of this country. From the West, the inhabitants of Georgia adopted the customs of Turkish and European cuisine, and on the other hand they were saturated with Iranian customs that were transmitted from the eastern side of the pass. So were created two distinctive kitchens that varied in the method of preparation of fruits, vegetables, meat, the use of spices, sauces.
What is the difference? For example, more common in the West eating corn bread and mchadi cakes. Migrelia and Abkhazia known for the mass of gomi – it is consumed with soup, meat dishes and vegetables. It is made using chumizu (millet).
Beef is used throughout Georgia. Otherwise, preferences locals are different – lamb is still popular in the east, and with West side – less fatty chicken and turkey meat. West Side notable for its spicy dishes, hot sauces here – inalienable cooking ingredient. But overall the border between the two opposite sides of Georgia is very arbitrary, and rather exists to emphasize the most striking features of the kitchen.
Many dishes are known around the world today:
- barbecue,
- lobio (lamb with beans),
- khachapuri (cheesecakes favorite for many, most world famous from this cuisine),
- chakhokhbili (a dish that includes chicken and fried onion).
Wine Drinking Culture
Viticulture is very important for Georgia. The country is famous for its unique varieties of wines, recipes for cooking them to keep in a secret whole families. Today there are about 500 varieties grapes – an essential opportunity to create unique and exceptional drinks of its kind.
There is a culture of consumption of wine, turning it into a drink not in a simple procedure for drinking an alcoholic drink, but creating a whole ritual. Georgians can drink every day, permissible drink 2-3 small glasses at lunch. Children are also allowed some wine on occasion. Being a natural drink retains many healthy elements and helps digestion.
How is wine used in Georgia? Toastmaster is chosen – a male person no younger than 18 years old, cheerful and with a sharp mind. No one cannot make a toast without his demand, and the toastmaster himself over the period feasts can make about 25 toasts, while drinking so much same glasses of wine at 250 grams. Make a small speech for each of those present at the table. There is a strict rule. – do not leave unfinished wine in the last glass, as it is believed that “leaving tears” is a bad tone in relation to to the owner of the house.
In honor of this drink in Georgia, an annual celebration in the middle of the first month of autumn. is he goes as follows: family members, including children grapes are harvested and clustered in the sun. Then made of it wine – first-class clusters are used for making majdar, it is drunk on the same day, without waiting for the moment of ripening.
The wort remaining after cooking is used for slicing with cornmeal, and the juice is preserved for churchkhela, which also nuts are added.
Differences in Georgian cuisine in different parts of the country do not concern only food, but also wine. In the east they mostly drink this wine:
- white – hikhvi, rakatsiteli,
- red – saperavi and cabernet, chinuri, gorouli.
The following types of wines are common in the western side: zitska, tsalikouri, famous brands “Tvishi” and “Khvanchkara”, krahuli.
Georgian people practically do not drink tea, except for wine still natural juices.
Meat and its variations in Georgian cuisine
The meat is eaten in its various variations – pork, lamb, beef and poultry. There is a recipe, ingredients which include more than 5 types of meat! The dish is being made as follows: a bull is taken, a calf is placed inside it, in which already has a lamb, in a lamb – a turkey, and in it a goose. AT a duck is put in the goose, and a chicken is placed in it. What a combination! Animals are filled with various herbs, and they are filled with them. empty seats between them.
To prepare all this on a spit, in the fresh air, during at least a few hours. Undoubtedly, to fry everything well meat, you have to sacrifice the upper layer, but inside remains a huge amount of juicy meat. Aroma, taste – all this incomparably with any other dish in the world, therefore it is so it is known.
But fish is not as popular as meat in Georgia, but still It is present in the traditions of cuisine located in areas near rivers. Trout is known for fishing in high mountain rivers. lack of characteristic fish flavor in meat. Usually in georgian fish stewed in the kitchen or steamed, to cook it also sauces are added.
The world of fruits and vegetables
Favorable climate ensures that all lean dishes made from fruits or vegetables. Both are always abundant in country, also wild herbs are selected for cooking. With vegetables make an incredible amount of dishes. They are fried, steamed, pickle and stew, eat in its original form. And in combination with with a variety of sauces with the help of them you can cook thousands different dishes.
Georgian cuisine is rich in nuts. Hazelnuts, Almonds, Walnuts used for soups, snacks, are part of sauces. And all this – not including confectionery. And spices are something without which the kitchen Georgia is impossible, because without them sauces and gravy are not complete. AT In most cases, peppermint, leek, cilantro and basil are used.
Cheese use
They often act not as snacks, but as an ingredient first and second courses. In the part of the country on the western side are popular mild sirs, with a sour-milk taste, for example, suluguni. East is different sharp, salty species – Georgian, Kobi cheeses.
Since Georgia refers to the people living directly near the mountains, he has the following methods of processing cheese – cooking and frying, which is also found in other peoples living in similar terrain.
Specific features of the cooking process in Georgia
There is an interesting highlight of this kitchen – ketsi. This is a pan made of clay – for small sizes, or stone – for a large volume of the device. There are also metal products, and pans tapas will allow you to cook meat under the press.
Compared to the usual cooking process in our country it looks unusual to use acidic, fatty – acidic and sour – egg environment in some dishes. So, the same soups are boiled with by adding whole eggs or individual yolks, moreover from the mixture there are practically no vegetables in the soup, but it turns out tight enough.
Eggs are mixed with acidic ingredients before being added: natural fruit juice, vinegar, sour milk. It’s necessary so that the eggs do not curl. Still acid allows make soup easy for the stomach if as an ingredient fatty meat is present. Remarkable custom file separately a large amount of greens to the table, for example, parsley, mint, basil, radish, cucumbers and others.
Sauces can be used for different dishes, almost all of them liquid – this is not typical of European cuisine. But spices at all not too sharp – they are fragrant and soften the dish, with the exception of unless red hot peppers and garlic. But in general the integrity of the picture sauces are used in Georgia to give aroma, taste and increased appetite.
