THE DEZERTER BAZAAR IN TBILISI
Dezerter Bazaar is an agrarian market located in Tsinamdzgvrishvili St. close to Tbilisi Central Railway Station and not far from the Dinamo Stadium. Covering 2,000 square meters, it is one of the largest markets in the city. The market has a purpose built covered indoor area as well as an open area for stallholders to … Continue reading
CHEESE FESTIVAL AT EXPO GEORGIA IN TBILISI
On November 8, a cheese festival featuring more than 50 varieties of dairy products was held at Expo Georgia in Tbilisi. The popular event featured manufacturers from all regions of Georgia, including individual producers and dairy companies. Visitors were able to taste the different cheeses and watch demonstrations of cheese making.
“WINE CITY” AT TBILISOBA 2014
As part of Tbilisi’s 2 day Tbilisoba 2014 celebration (Georgian: თბილისობა), a “Wine City” was set up in Rike Park and the city’s residents, visitors and tourists were able to sample a range of Georgia’s fabulous wines and spirits. Georgian farmers produced 155,000 tonnes of grapes this year. From January 1 to September 30, Georgia exported 42.8 … Continue reading
ETHNIC GEORGIANS IN TURKEY PRESERVE WINE-MAKING TRADITIONS
Communities of ethnic Georgians live in remote villages on the Turkish side of the Machakhela River, which is a trans-boundary river between Georgia and Turkey. Georgian traditions and customs still continue, including traditional wine-making. Photos courtesy of the President’s Administration. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and … Continue reading
KVARELI WINE TUNNELS
Kvareli Gvirabi, near Kvareli (Georgian: ყვარელი) in Khaketi region, is Georgia’s largest wine cellar – 7.7 km of tunnels and galleries that maintain a constant temperature of 12-14 degrees C and 70% relative humidity all year round – perfect storage conditions for wine. Originally built for military purposes during the Cold War, the tunnels (gvirabi) … Continue reading
WINE FESTIVAL IN RACHA
A wine festival was held in Racha at the end of August. Organized by the regional government of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region (Georgian: რაჭა-ლეჩხუმი და ქვემო სვანეთი) it aimed to promote agricultural products and improve links between local farmers and markets. Visitors were able to taste the wines, enjoy great food, traditional folk songs, … Continue reading
GEORGIAN LOBIANI BAKED IN TONE
We recently returned to our bakery, Trepezi, in our neighborhood in Tbilisi to see how our baker, Zaur Skhirtladze, makes Lobiani (boiled bean bread). Lobiani is enjoyed all year round and especially eaten on the Georgian holiday of Barbaroba, or St. Barbara’s Day (December 17). The main ingredient of Lobiani is boiled kidney beans. Zaur told us that after boiling, … Continue reading
GEORGIAN BREAD (PART 1)
In Georgia, bread is called puri (pronounced “poo-ree”) and is traditionally baked in a deep circular clay oven called a tone (pronounced “ton-AY”). Traditional bread, especially the long pointed bread called shotis puri, is very popular and usually served with every meal. Most streets in Georgia have at least one traditional bakery. We went behind the scenes at … Continue reading
KHINKALI
Khinkali (Georgian: ხინკალი) is a very popular Georgian dumpling made of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat and spices. It is considered to be one of the national dishes of Georgia. Different regions of Georgia make khinkali with different fillings. The most popular filling is a pork/beef mix. In the mountains, khinkali is often made with … Continue reading
GEORGIAN CHACHA
Chacha (Georgian: ჭაჭა) is a strong spirit made of the grape residue (pomace) left after making wine. Chacha is often made at home in a mini still. By the American definition, it qualifies as “moonshine” but unlike the production of “moonshine” in the United States, distilling chacha is not illegal in Georgia and many families continue the tradition. To most … Continue reading
FEAST WITH US IN GEORGIA!
Planning a vacation? Visit Georgia and enjoy the finest food and wine. Visit the Georgian National Tourism Administration website to find out about vacations in Georgia. Photos courtesy of the Georgian National Tourism Administration. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and become a friend of GEORGIA.
RTVELI – GEORGIAN WINE HARVEST AND FESTIVITIES
Rtveli (Georgian: რთველი) is the traditional vintage (the process of picking grapes and making wine) accompanied by celebrations that mark the end of the agricultural cycle for the year. For centuries, viticulture has been of great economic importance to Georgia. Today, there are more than 175,000 acres planted with vines. The vine also has an iconic and religious significance … Continue reading
INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL WINE-MAKING
Thousands of years ago the ancient people of the South Caucasus Region discovered how to transform wild grape juice into wine by leaving it to ferment in clay vessels called Kvevri, which they buried in the ground. It was from Georgia that the method of wine-making in Kvevri spread to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the rest of … Continue reading
MCHADI (GEORGIAN CORNBREAD)
Mchadi is a very popular cornbread traditionally eaten with lobio (beans) and cheese. Ingredients (for 6 servings). 400 grams of stone-ground cornmeal (preferably white), 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of cold water (may need more depending on the cornmeal). Stone-ground white cornmeal Preparation. Add water to the cornmeal little by little so that the cornmeal becomes … Continue reading
LOBIO (GEORGIAN BEAN DISH)
Lobio (Georgian: ლობიო), is a popular dish made with kidney beans and usually eaten with Mchadi and marinaded vegetables . The Georgian word ‘lobio’ means ‘beans’. There are a number of varieties of this dish and we will show how to make one of the most popular. Ingredients (4 servings): 400 grams of dried red kidney beans. … Continue reading
Georgian Recipes 