I’m no foodie. But with every place I visit, I try to eat local cuisine. In that way, my taste palate expands. And I end up learning a thing or two about their culture.

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia and the country’s most populous city. Home to roughly 1.2 million people, approximately 90% of its ethnic background are Georgians, while the balance is comprised of its neighbors – Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Russians and Kurds. As a fan of wine and luxurious baths, I find its parts as good ingredients for a perfect vacation. Apparently, the country has the oldest records of wine making, while its name means warm location after its numerous sulfuric hot springs.

For photographs I’ve taken in Tbilisi, you can visit this link.

If you want to look at the photos I took or places I’ve visited in Georgia outside of Tbilisi, you can visit this photography and places.

In the meanwhile, here are 5 dishes I ate in Tbilisi:

Khinkali

Khinkali is a dumpling originating from Georgia. It consists of dough and filled with meat, broth, and others (onion, salt, herbs, etc.) I consider it a jumbo xiao long bao, except (a) the top is not supposed to be eaten (though I did as I wasn’t aware of the custom before writing this), and (b) consumed using bare hands (a relief for people like me who struggle with chopsticks). The dough is heavy for my stomach but it’s definitely filling. I spilled its juicy essence on my first try but I didn’t let it go to waste on my succeeding attempts.

Khachapuri

The word translate roughly to cheese and bread. It’s eaten by breaking the dough and dipping it in the cheese and yolk. Technically not a main course (at least I don’t find it in that section of a menu), the serving is huge. For my tastebuds, this is a collaboration between fondue and a pizza’s stuffed crust. That to me is caloric heaven.

Chkmeruli

Another traditional Georgian dish is a chkmeruli. When I was researching about this food, it dawned on me that the title already implies chicken (chicken meruli – mind blown). It’s fried first and later combined with garlic sauce, having milk as the base. The flavour seeps in well to the chicken. Others prefer variety but I finished an entire dish meant for families.

Satsivi

Much like chkmeruli, it’s fried chicken combined with a flavourful base. In this instance, it’s walnut sauce. And while I didn’t grow up in Georgia or eating walnut sauce, the taste reminds me of home (which is the Philippines for me). The fried chicken and the sauce’s taste do not gel well. Or maybe it was the fight I overheard ongoing in the kitchen when they were preparing the dish that influenced the output.

Kupati

Much of Europe (where arguably parts of Georgia lies) has its take on a sausage. Kupati is made from ground pork and intestines (with pepper and onion as taste aids). The chitterlings probably contributed to semblance of bitterness that I tasted. I already have a lot of bitterness in my life so… it’s not my cup of tea. But I want to try everything once.

All food were eaten on August 2022.