Georgian Feasts

I love traveling to the Southern Caucasus, to include Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. If I had to pick one place though, it would be Georgia.  From the mountains to the Black Sea coast, it is a beautiful country.  The most memorable thing about Georgia, is probably a combination of the warm people and the amazing food and wine.  A Georgian Feast, or supra in Georgian, is a quite an event.  The festivities are led by a Tamada who acts as a toastmaster.  Even in less formal settings, my dining partners have always designated the most charismatic individual as the tamada.  I have experienced long lunches that have lasted almost into the next meal.  I have never been to a bad restaurant in Georgia, some of the most unique experiences have been small remote places in the countryside.  Tbilisi is full of amazing restaurants, and most of the ones I have been to have amazing views of the old city, or the Mt'k'vari River.  The Hotel Kopala restaurant is said to be a favorite of President Saakashvili.

View of Old Tbilisi from the Hotel Kopala Restaurant

View of Tbilisi from the Hotel Kopala Restaurant

Preparing for a Supra at Hotel Kopala

View of the Mt'k'vari River from a Tbilisi Restaurant

Georgian food is full of vegetarian options, and many dishes are uniquely walnut based. Georgian cuisine has a very distinct taste based on the mix of spices, often including coriander, fenugreek leaves, and  marigold.  I have tried to make recreations of my favorite dishes, but never with the same result.  In fact, some Georgian friends have mentioned that their own cooking was never the same when cooking abroad.  

A Georgian Meal in Tbilisi

A Georgian Meal in Tbilisi