I often daydream about something like this: I’m walking across a street in a big city full of restaurants representing countries from all over the world. For breakfast I go to Honduras; for lunch I go to Vietnam or Thailand, and for dinner I go to Brazil.
After realizing how ‘#wow I’m so cultural’ I probably sound, I stop daydreaming about my hunger-fueled cringe fests and turn to social media and YouTube to scroll through food posts. The countless hours that I spend on YouTtube or Instagram accounts simply can’t satisfy my desires to try the food I see on my screen.
Aside from that, I’m too broke, too picky, too messy and simply too unskilled to create the food I crave. Because of this, I’m forced to fill the void in my soul by ranting about my frustrations on this blog and live through other people’s experiences. But hey, welcome back!
On this edition of Tasty Travels, we will be discussing the food of the Republic of Georgia. A couple days ago, I interviewed Nichole Iagorashvili, a junior who had quite an eventful summer traveling to Seattle, Russia and Georgia. Nichole was very enthusiastic to be interviewed about a type of cuisine she has adored since childhood.
When and where did you travel?
“I visited Georgia this previous summer.”
What type of food did you eat on this trip?
“I ate food that you simply can’t get in the United States. My mom pretty much refused to let me eat anything that’s available in the States. Khachapuri is noteworthy. It’s basically a cheesy bread. Khinkali is a type of dumpling that’s usually filled with meat or mushrooms. Churchkhela is eaten as a dessert or snack, and it’s traditionally made with walnuts threaded on a string and covered with thickened grape juice, which is then sundried.”
What was your favorite food that  you encountered on this trip?  
“My favorite food was definitely khinkali. I really like dumplings, and the ones in Georgia are particularly delicious.”
How would you describe Georgian food? How is it unique?
“In general, the food in Georgia is hearty, filling and well-balanced, as a lot of fruits and veggies are eaten along with the main dishes. I haven’t experienced anything like Georgian food anywhere else. The flavor pallet is completely different and not at all ‘Western’. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new experiences.”
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The interview with Iagorashvili left me full of curiosity, mostly because I’ve never encountered Georgian food before. I do recall, however, watching several videos of the noteworthy Khachapuri, a tasty-looking gem in a sea of aesthetically pleasing but frankly unappetizing “Instagram famous” recipes like mermaid toast, mermaid bagels and deconstructed whatever. Khachapuri is essentially a warm bread boat filled to the brim with a concoction of cheese and topped with a runny egg. Despite the fact that I’ve always been skeptical of runny egg, I’d definitely be willing to try a bite, since there’s nothing in this holy Earth with cheese and bread that is incapable of tasting good (unless you’re too picky or lactose intolerant).
Another dish I’d like to go in depth about is khinkali. Khinkali is a Georgian dumpling that contains its filling (typically a minced meat that varies from region to region) raw so that it can be consumed with the juices trapped inside after the cooking process. It’s also eaten in a particular manner; the soup is consumed first and the folded knots at the top of the dumpling, by which it is held, are not eaten.
After extensive research and an overview of the dishes that Iagorishvili discussed, I can point out a theme: Georgian food seems warm, inviting, interesting and full of comfort. While on the topic of interesting things, walnuts, as mentioned by Iagorishvili, are very important in this cuisine. Seriouseats.com states that, ‘walnuts are the workhorse of Georgian cuisine,’ and that walnuts are, ‘employed in the same way the French use butter.’ It’s also thought-provoking to see the evidence of cultural diffusion in Georgian cuisine; from a geographic standpoint, Georgia is in the middle of an East/West divide. It neighbors countries as Turkey, Armenia and Russia and is also a “middle point” of sorts between Asia and Western Europe. Their close proximity and involvement with areas that have historically connected by trade routes has transformed their cuisine into one that contains a zest of originality. 
What is the best food you have ever made?