5 Vegetarian Dishes Every Visitor To Georgia Must Try

Before going to Georgia, I had no idea what to expect from Georgian cuisine. So little is known about the country that I expected the majority dishes to be non-vegetarian as it’s a Christian country. Things are rarely so simple though I was about to learn.

Not only did I find that Georgia has a high percentage of Othodox Christians, I also realised that the majority of traditional dishes are actually vegetarian. Lying on the fringes of the Caucasus mountains, the country has some of the finest cheese and wine I’ve ever had. Paired with their impossibly soft bread, Georgia’s vegetarian dishes were some of the best I’ve ever had on my travels. Here are five of my favourite dishes from Georgia that you must try.

Khinkhali

#хинкали #зедазени #Белкино #ხინკალი #ზედაზენი #ბელკინო #xinkali #Zedazeni #Belkino by tgazdeliani pic.twitter.com/H7AZB5gbQ4

— Obninsk (@Obninskall) July 31, 2015

Po clearly never visited Georgia. He’d have left China and his kung-fu training if he’d had Khinkhali; Georgia’s soup dumplings filled with mushroom. Even eating one requires a certain amount of skill. You first need to hold the stem of the dumpling – shaped like a modak or a closed flower – firmly on top and then turn it around. Take a bite around the edges while ensuring that the mushroom filling inside doesn’t fall off. Continue eating this way until only the stem remains in your hand before moving on to the next one. One plate of Khinkhali usually consists of six to ten pieces and is usually had as an evening snack or during dinner.  You will almost never find it at restaurants during lunch service because it’s a low-value dish for them. Occasionally, you will also find meat filling inside Khinkhali – especially in Tbilisi and Svaneti region.

Average price: 2 GEL per plate

Khachapuri

Ah, humble little Khachapuri, what praises do I sing of thee? Sold at almost every bakery, this cheese-filled pie shaped like a giant pizza is the best breakfast I’ve had during my stay in Georgia. You can pick from different types of cheese grown in Georgia (my favourite was Imeruli cheese Khachapuri) and simply bite into a hot Khachapuri removed from the oven just minutes before. Beware of picking one later in the day because the bread becomes hard and the cheese doesn’t have the gooeyness it generally has when it’s just out of the oven. I liked it so much that I almost always had one for breakfast.

Average price: 3.5 GEL

Lobiani

Lobiani is the other go-to option if you’ve had enough of Khachapuri or if you are a vegan. Made in the same way as Khachapuri, Lobiani has boiled beans instead of cheese as the filling of choice. It also comes in a variety of shapes – from a roll to a pizza-shaped dough or my favourite – in the shape of a croissant. Depending on its shape, you will also find extra ingredients with your Lobiani, such as butter-coated dough over the croissant. Keep in mind that your throat will feel dry after having a Lobiani so keep water handy.

Average price: 3-4 GEL

Beans in Pot (Lobio)

The most comforting home-food I’ve had in Georgia was a simple dish of boiled beans in a curry with spices and some garnish. Along with some bread to go with it, Beans in Pot was my choice of lunch when I had a hectic day with climbing or lots of walking involved (I’m looking at you David Gareja cave monastery!). While it was slightly on the expensive side compared to the other dishes on my list, Beans in Pot was well worth its price for the taste and wholesomeness I derived each time I had it. It was also the only dish that was served in an earthern vessel to me both times I had it, a quirk that I enjoyed immensely.

Average price: 8 GEL

Churchkhela

The most colourful dish in Georgia is also its most unique. Shaped like a sausage, Churchkhela are also called Georgian Snickers for their role in keeping your stomach filled when hungry. The natural candy is made by coating grape juice, organic honey and other fruit juices mixed with flour. This mixture is then applied over hazelnuts or normal nuts and put together with a string. Churchkhela is a natural candy that has no added sugar and shopkeepers hang them for months at end as it doesn’t spoil. It is an ideal snack as it kills hunger instantly without adding any pounds to your body. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there are so many varieties of this uniquely Georgian snack to explore too. I am surprised it hasn’t crossed Georgia’s borders already.

Average price: 1 to 1.5 GEL