გამარჯობა!
Hello!
People were not kidding about Georgian food. It is absolutely delicious. My favorite Georgian foods so far are khachapuri and khinkali, which are both very famous foods in Georgia.
Khachapuri is a dish made with dough, butter, Georgian cheese, and egg, although how it is prepared varies from region to region. Batumi, where I am staying, is located in Adjara, which is a beautiful region of Georgia along the Black Sea. My host mom, Nana, taught me how to make Adjarian khachapuri and told me the significance of each part. Adjarian khachapuri is made of dough shaped like a boat, representing the boats and fisherman on the sea. The inside of the boat is filled with Georgian cheese, and there is an egg yolk baked on top of the boat, representing the sun. Our family always serves khachapuri with Georgian tea and shares the dish. Everyone breaks off pieces of the outside of the boat and dips them in the buttery cheese on the inside.
Khinkali was the first food I ate in Georgia. It is a kind of dumpling filled with meat or vegetables and broth. For future reference, the correct way to eat khinkali is to hold it by the scrunched up “tail,” bite a hole in the bottom, suck out all the juice, and then start to eat the outside of the dumping and the filling inside, leaving the tail on the plate. According to our tour guide, for Georgian men, the number of khinkali you order is important—they should only order them in large amounts.
Until next week,
Bridget
