Shkmeruli is an authentic Georgian dish, originating from the village, Shkmeri (Racha region).
The ingredients sound simple enough – a fried chicken, cooked in a clay pot with milk sauce and garlic – but who came up with this recipe?
Georgian folklore is awash with countless versions of this particular tale. Some say there was a lady who welcomed some unexpected guests. She wanted to make chicken in “Bazhe” (walnut sauce), but was without walnuts and, instead, she improvised with milk and garlic. Some say, the chicken was actually turning bad, so she used garlic to conceal the putrid aroma. Whatever the true origin of the Shkmeruli, the nation is all the richer for having a national dish that is born of humble beginnings, and has since flourished into an internationally-recognised representation of Georgian cuisine.