10+ Common Georgian Ingredients: An Easy List
Original Blog Post: https://ling-app.com/ka/common-georgian-ingredients/
If there is one topic that has the capacity to unite people, then that would definitely be related to food. Wondering what the common Georgian ingredients are? In this post, let’s learn about the top-secret ingredients that are guaranteed to help us get the authentic taste of Georgian cuisine. If you are ready for that, then let the learning begin!
The Georgian Cuisine
Georgian cuisine is among the least-appreciated cuisines in the world. The flavor of foods in Georgian country originated in Greece and the Mediterranean along with influences from Turkey and Persia. which is why many are not familiar with what makes it unique. But here’s one thing you should know: the Georgian way of cooking is hugely different from what other countries have.
The locals actually infuse most of their food with unique herbs and spices. These ingredients are commonly found in different parts of the region, so they used them to make various traditional dishes such as meat and vegetable dishes. These ingredients are also present in popular hearty Georgian soups, sour plums, and cornbreads.
But aside from having their unique traditional dishes, they also adopt some of the flavors of the food in other neighboring countries. Usually, they substitute ingredients that suit their tastes better, like concentrated grape juice, green peppers, and boiled dough as their substitute ingredients. Let’s learn more about this in the sections below.
10+ Common Georgian Ingredients
სიმინდი (Simindi) — Corn
This type of ingredient is commonly seen in Georgian recipes. Since Georgian countries produced a vast amount of root crops like corn, they used it in Georgian recipes. Aside from that, Georgians are more of eating vegetable dishes, unlike the Western countries.
The traditional Georgian dishes that used corn as its main ingredients are the Georgian cornbread with cheese and Cornmeal Porridge.გამდნარი ყველი (Gamdnari Q’veli) — Melted Cheese
Along with corn, Georgian cheese is one of their common ingredients in Georgian cooking. For this reason, there are many farm animals in most of the regions of the country. Moreover, almost 250 varieties of cheese are made in the country that came from farm animals like cows and sheep.
Some varieties of cheese in Georgian are Dambal’khacho, Sulguni or cottage cheese, Rotten cheese, and others. Some of the traditional Georgian dishes that use melted cheese as their main ingredients are Elarji and Khachapuri.
დაფქული ხორცი (Dapkuli Khortsi) — Minced Meat
Minced meat from chicken meat, lamb meat, and pork meat are some of the kinds of meat used in many Georgian dishes. Like what I mentioned, various farm animals can be found in different parts of the region. They produce milk and cheese, but they are also serve as meat that is mixed in Georgian dishes.
Some of the Georgian cuisine that used minced meat as its main ingredient are the Georgian dumplings and Kubdari.
პილპილი, წიწაკა (Pilpili, Tsitsaka) — Chili Pepper
We all know that Georgia used different spices in Georgian cooking. They also served side dishes like spicy paste. An example of this is the use of chili pepper. They stuffed peppers as filling in Georgian bread, sauce, and soup in their Georgian table.
Some of the Georgian dishes that used chili pepper as their main ingredients are the Spicy beef stew and Kuchmachi.
ხახვი (Khakhvi) — Onions
Onions are one of the spices used in Georgian dishes to make them taste even more savory. Common Georgian dishes like Kubdari, Chikhirtma, and Pkhali use onions as their based ingredients.
ისპანახი (Isp’anakhi) — Spinach
Georgians also loved to eat leafy vegetable dishes, but unlike in other Asian countries, Georgians usually minced Spinach together with minced meat to have a balanced flavor.
Pkhali is one of the famous vegetable dishes in Georgian that uses spinach.
თირკმლის ლობიო (Tirk’mlis lobio)- Kidney Beans
Aside from melted cheese and minced meat used as fillings in various Georgian bread, mashed kidney beans are also used because of their sweet flavor. Lobio is one of the famous Georgian foods that uses kidney beans as the main ingredients.
კარტოფილი (K’art’opili) — Potatoes
Like the corns, potatoes in Georgia are also used in making Georgian bread. Because of its soft texture, sweet taste, and easy-to-prepare Georgian food are usually served as street food and homemade food.
Georgian Potato pancakes, and Ossetian cheese, and potato bread are some of the Georgian bread that used mashed potatoes as their main ingredient.
ბროწეულის მარცვლები (Brots’eulis Martsvlebi) — Pomegranate Seeds
Georgian cooks various dishes that use pomegranate seeds. Because of their sweet and tangy flavor, some of them were made to use pomegranate juice, pomegranate sauce, and toppings.
The most common traditional Georgian food that uses pomegranate seeds as its main ingredients is the roasted chicken or chicken cooked in a clay pot seasoned with pomegranate juice topped with pomegranate seeds.
დაჭრილი ნიგოზი (Dach’rili nigozi) — Chopped Walnuts
Like pomegranate seeds, walnuts are also used as toppings in Georgian cooking. It is also mixed in minced meats and vegetables as a walnut paste.
Georgian Eggplant rolls with walnuts and chicken cooked in the walnut sauce are one of the Traditional Georgian food that use chopped walnuts as their main ingredients.
ქინძის თესლი (Kindzis Tesli) — Coriander Seeds
Because of its sweet and delicate flavor, ground coriander seeds in Georgian food are widely used because they blend well in various dishes in the country. Georgian recipes like Chashushuli with Summer Savory is a family meal that uses various herbs to make it tasty. Dried Coriander seed is one of the main ingredients in cooking this Georgian food.
Georgian Ingredients In Traditional Georgian Dishes
Unlike Western cuisines, Georgians use fresh herbs and spices most of the time. For them, such an approach to cooking paves the way for them to ensure not only the freshness of the dish but that it also contributes to a healthy balanced diet. For this reason, the recipes for traditional Georgian food always makes use of spices like coriander, cumin, black pepper, dried basil, lavender, dill, mint, sage and basil.
If you are planning to move in the country, do remember that these ingredients are pretty cheap in the market. The reason for this is because these are usually grown by the locals instead of being imported from other countries. If you want to know some related food that you can try cooking up, then be sure to read our Top 10 Delicious Georgian Foods post today.
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