Learning About Georgian Dishes
I will start with the two most popular tradition and unique Georgian dishes served at Georgian restaurants in Manhattan. Georgian cuisine is both national and regional. Both of these dishes are present throughout the country but have many regional differences in style and ingredients used.
Khinkali– Georgian style soup dumplings. The traditional, according to my new friend Beka Peradze, are always pork and beef. At his restaurant, Red Compass, he also sells lamb (which he had never had before coming to the states), mushroom, and cheese. Lamb is not unheard in Georgia though, it is very popular in mountainous regions. Guga, a server and sommelier at Red Compass said he grew up eating it often.
Khachapuri– There are many variations on khachapuri, the famous Georgian cheesy curd bread. Interesting note (found on wikipedia, yes): “As a Georgian staple food, the price of making a Khachapuri is used as a measure of inflation in different Georgian cities by the Khachapuri index, developed by the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University.”
- Acharuli khachapuri: The dough in this style is shaped like a football, or a boat from bird’s eye view, and is filled with sulguni cheese and an egg slightly poached in the cheese. When served at Georgian restaurants it is swirled table side.
- Imeruli Khachapuri: a round style, oven baked with a yogurt type cheese and sulguni cheese melted on top. Looks a little bit like a white pizza.
- Megruli Khachapuri: The same thing except there is also sulguni cheese stuffed inside (yum). There are others but these are the three I am familiar with.