PARTNER CONTENT FOR BATUMI, GEORGIA
B AT U M I FEAST OF FLAVOUR
Georgian cuisine is seeing a boom in popularity and there’s no better place to discover it than the country itself
Pitched at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia once lay along the great Silk Road, meaning traders would bring spices and far-flung flavours to its towns and cities, shaping its cuisine with distinct flavours from all around the world. It’s this myriad of influences that’s helped to shape the national cuisine in its present state. Complex, varied and earthy, Georgian
food has been dubbed ‘one of the last great undiscovered food cultures of Europe’ by René Redzepi, the Danish chef and co- owner of two-Michelin-star Noma. This is a cuisine rich in variety, spanning
smoky, chargrilled meats; bubbling bowls of thick bean soup; cheesy breads; and meaty dumplings. Dishes such as these play a role in the supra — a playful, traditional meal overseen by the tamada, or toastmaster. Wine takes centre stage at the supra, as well as in the national cuisine: following the
discovery of wine traces on 8,000-year- old pottery shards in Georgia, the country has claimed the title of the world’s oldest winemaking nation. The viticulture scene is enjoying a renaissance thanks to a resurgence in natural winemaking. To help you navigate Georgia’s culinary
map, look to Batumi — a characterful port city where visitors can stretch out on Black Sea beaches, explore contemporary art spaces and hang out in the old city, where belle époque buildings tower over the streets. And don’t forget to sample Batumi’s cafes and wineries, as well as restaurants specialising in Ajarian-style cooking and fresh seafood.
Essentials
Getting there: Multiple airlines fly directly or indirectly to Batumi, Kutaisi and Tbilisi from various UK hubs
A TASTE OF BATUMI Foodie finds
Ajarian khachapuri Hailing from the Ajara region, this celebrated dish — boat-shaped bread filled with cheese and topped with a runny egg — is best served piping hot, with pieces of bread torn off and dipped into the buttery, cheesy filling.
Local wine Winemaking is a key part of Georgia’s national identity, practised here for more than eight millennia. Traditionally, wine is fermented in qvevri — giant terracotta pots — buried underground.
Herbs & vegetables A highlight of the vegetarian scene is salad made with pkhali herb, tomato, garlic, walnuts and roasted aubergines, drizzled with various sauces.
Europe's Leading Emerging Tourism Destination
To find out more, visit
gobatumi.com/en
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