Georgian cuisine

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The term Georgian cuisine encompasses the different styles of cooking that predominate in Georgia .

General

It is varied, based on the different regional preferences, especially West and East Georgia. In western Georgia, for example, savory dishes are preferred, in eastern Georgia they are more mild. Western Georgians also prefer pork , while Eastern Georgians traditionally prefer beef or lamb .

Georgian cuisine also has an important role in Georgian society. This is particularly clear with a Supra (also called Keipi), a large table with a so-called table master ( Tamada ) who directs what is happening at the table and makes toasts, and - to keep track of things - even a deputy elects. The toasts are generally not flippant remarks, but are taken seriously and repeated by everyone who sits at the table; Sometimes the toasts vary, as everyone can say something new if the Tamada allows it. So, above all, the guests who sit at the table, their children and relatives or their deceased, as well as the country Georgia and the country's past are drunk. Kimeraweb.de describes the meaning of a Tamada for the Supra as follows: “You cannot imagine a Tamada that is mindless and witless and only thinks about drinking.” With these and other rituals, the Supra usually lasts several hours, which is also felt to be appropriate by all those involved.

The rule is: the more important the occasion or the guests are, the more traditional the dishes are. It is always served in abundance to demonstrate the generosity of the host.

history

Georgian cuisine is one of the oldest and most varied cuisines in the world. Today it is considered a tourist attraction. She knows a variety of dishes and is the most varied in the Caucasus , to which the climatic diversity of agricultural products contributes.

Food

Ajaruli Khachapuri, filled with cheese and a fried egg.
Khinkali on a platter
Tschurtschchela , walnuts with a grape juice couverture

Georgia's cuisine was considered to be the haute cuisine of Soviet cuisine , as it is primarily characterized by its quality and regional variety. Such a different cuisine also offers bizarre things every now and then, for example there are some fish only on one river.

In general, meat plays a major role in Georgian cuisine; Each region prefers its own type of meat. Dishes made from pork , beef or mutton are very popular. There are also deer , mountain goats , hares, rabbits , quails and pheasants. The difference in taste within Georgia is also evident in terms of the most widely grown and most consumed grains in the respective region. In western Georgia, maize dominates , whereas in eastern Georgia it is mainly wheat that is grown and consumed.

Appetizers
Typical starters are stuffed aubergines with walnut paste ( Badridschani ) and air-dried beef ( Basturma ).
Main courses
Shashlik ( Mzwadi ), chicken stew with tomato and onion sauce ( Tschachochbili ), and mutton stew with eggplant ( Tschanachi ) are counted as typical and national main dishes . There is also walnut sauce ( Baji ), mirabelle sauce ( Tkemali ), a typical tomato sauce ( Sasebela ) and various very hot pepper pastes ( Adschika ).
Desserts
For dessert, some desserts are served, including a popular Georgian sweet called Churtschela , in which hazelnut or walnut kernels are tied on a line and then dipped in grape juice, which is thickened with corn and wheat flour, until a thin layer over the Has laid nuts. A kind of pudding called pelamuschi is served, which is particularly popular in Kartli and western Georgia. Pelamuschi is made from grape juice that is cooked with corn flour and has the consistency of a pudding when cooled.

Dumplings with minced meat filling ( khinkali ), baked cheese bread ( kachapuri ) or a red bean soup ( lobio ) are common. Furthermore, the maize bread ( mschadi ), which is typical of western Georgia and is prepared with sulguni (a type of cheese from the Mingrelia region ), and other types of bread are eaten. Other cheeses are Imeruli (cheese from the Imereti region ) and Guda (cheese from the mountains); cheese is often served with the main course.

Alcoholic beverages and drinking habits

Georgian cuisine mainly features traditional drinks such as Georgian wine , sparkling wine , brandy and chacha , a pomace brandy . The banquet table is led by a tamada , who makes artistic toasts during the meal. After each saying the glass is completely emptied and refilled. Those who no longer want to drink can show this by letting the full glass stand. Chaschi , a strong broth made from rumen with lots of garlic, is drunk against the hangover in the morning .

Table manners

  • Those who no longer want to drink can show it by leaving the full glass. This behavior is not considered a bad habit.
  • When the Tamada gets up with the toast, everyone else sitting at the table also gets up.

this and that

  • The so-called Georgian banquet is a cultural tradition. There is no need for a special occasion, even if such a feast of celebrations can take place.

literature

  • Wladimir Kaminer : Kitchen totalitarian. The cookbook of socialism. (Pp. 51-68), ISBN 3-442-54610-9
  • Kay Shaw Nelson: Cuisines of the Caucasus Mountains. Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. New York 2002. ISBN 0-7818-0928-2
  • WW Pochljobkin: National cuisines. The culinary art of the Soviet peoples. Moscow, Leipzig 1988. ISBN 3-7304-0053-3
  • Marion Trutter: Culinaria Russia: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. Hamburg 2007. ISBN 3-8331-2183-1

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b georgienseite.de
  2. a b c kimeraweb.de ( Memento of the original from June 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kimeraweb.de
  3. achitours.de - tour operator specializing in Georgia