Let’s talk about Georgia’s iconic dish: Khachapuri — a must-have for every Georgian Supra (feast).
In Georgian, the name breaks down into two words: “Khacho” (cottage cheese) and “Puri” (bread). Cottage cheese, however, is not typically used in Khachapuri recipes. Usually, it’s a mixture of 2 different types of cheese: Sulguni cheese (like mozzarella) and Imeretian cheese (like Feta). For this reason, in English, it’s known as ‘a cheese bread’.
There are dozens of Khachapuri types in Georgia. The taste, and shape, of each varies according to the specific region. The most famous Khachapuri types are:
· Imeretian Khachapuri: a cheese-stuffed dough is folded, sealed, flattened and shaped into a circular form (just like folded pizza). Imeretian Khachapuri is typically oven-baked in restaurants, but homemade versions may be pan-fried, instead.
· Megrelian Khachapuri: similar to Imeretian Khachapuri, with extra-cheese on top of the dough.
· Adjarian Khachapuri (a.k.a. ‘Cheeseboat’): a boat-shaped dough is filled with cheese, baked in the oven and served with a raw egg yolk and butter. Diners are then required to mix the contents themselves. This is the point when love blossoms: stirring, staring and waiting; counting down seconds until you nurture its consistency to palatable perfection.
· Achma: layered dough, with cheese in-between (just like lasagne).
· Khabidgina: Similar to Imeretian Khachapuri, but mixes mashed potatoes with the cheesy contents. In 2019, “National Agency for cultural heritage Preservation Georgia” granted Khachapuri with the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia; granting the much-loved iconic favourite with a well-deserved title of recognition and prestige
Author’s picks for best Khachapuri in Tbilisi:
- Khachapuri (named “Darejani”) at Kakhelebi restaurant
- Adjarian Khachapuri at Puri Guliani
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