About Food – Tkemali (Sour Plum Sauce)

Tkemali (Georgian ტყემალი) is the Georgian name for a variety of wild, sour plum, as well as a sauce made from the plums. Tkemali sauce is used for fried or grilled meat, poultry and potato dishes, and has a place in Georgian cuisine similar to tomato ketchup in America. The two main types of plum sauce are green … Continue reading →

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About Travel – Tbilisi Airport (TBS)

Tbilisi Airport (Georgian: თბილისის აეროპორტი) is the main international airport in Georgia, located 17 km (11 mi) southeast of the capital Tbilisi. The airport is operated by the Turkish airport operator TAV Airport Holdings and hosts over 20 airlines. It is also a hub for national airline Georgian Airways. From Tbilisi, destinations across Europe, the CIS and … Continue reading →

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About Sights – The National Botanical Garden of Georgia

The National Botanical Garden of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს ეროვნული ბოტანიკური ბაღი), formerly the Tbilisi Botanical Garden (თბილისის ბოტანიკური ბაღი), is a research, cultural-educational and nature conservation institution in Georgia. Located in the foothills of Narikala Castle in Tbilisi, it occupies an area of 161 hectares and possesses a collection of over 4,500 plant groups. The … Continue reading →

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About Food – Ekala (ეკალა)

The Ekala (ეკალა) plant (Smelax excelsa) is a type of spinach used in the cuisine of the Imereti region of Georgia (Georgian: იმერეთი). In this recipe we will show how to prepare and cook Ekala. Ingredients (2-3 servings): 1 kilo of fresh Ekala, 200 grams of walnuts, 1 clove of garlic, 1 medium size onion, 3-4 tbs of wine … Continue reading →

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About Food – Georgian Salad

Georgia is blessed with wonderful fresh vegetables, ideal for making delicious, refreshing salads. This recipe uses Georgian Imeretian cheese but a substitute could be mozzarella cheese. Ingredients: Tomatoes, fresh parsley, fresh purple basil, green peppers, onion, 1.5 tbs white wine vinegar, 1 tbs vegetable oil and Imeretian cheese. Preparation. Chop the tomatoes and add to a … Continue reading →

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About Food – Mushroom Chashushuli

Mushroom Chashushuli is a family meal made with potatoes and mushrooms. It is especially good with new potatoes. Ingredients (4 servings): 700 grams of small new potatoes, 500 grams of mushrooms, 6 cloves of fresh garlic, 2 hot green peppers (or mild if you prefer), 2 large onions, 50 grams of fresh purple basil, oil and … Continue reading →

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About Celebrations – Independence Day in Georgia (დამოუკიდებლობის დღე)

Georgia became part of the Russian Empire in 1800. On May 26, 1918, shortly after the collapse of the Russian Empire and in the midst of the Russian Civil War, it declared independence and The Democratic Republic of Georgia was created. Independence was short lived. Unable to withstand an invasion by Soviet Russia the Democratic Republic of … Continue reading →

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About Food – Chakapuli (Georgian: ჩაქაფული)

Chakapuli (Georgian: ჩაქაფული) is a popular Georgian stew made with lamb or beef, dry white wine, tarragon leaves, unripe (sour) green plums, green onions, green peppers, green coriander, garlic and salt. It is popular in the Spring when the plums are unripe. Ingredients (6 servings): 700 grams of diced lamb or beef. 150 grams of wild sour green plums. 200 … Continue reading →

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About Sights – Egnate Ninoshvili Museum

During his short life and brief literary career Georgian writer Egnate Ninoshvili (ეგნატე ნინოშვილი) (1859-1894) wrote stories and novellas vividly depicting the harsh life of the Georgian peasantry and the greed of tsarist officials. Before taking up writing he worked as a teacher, telegrapher, typesetter, and manual laborer. His first literary works were articles for the Georgian … Continue reading →

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About Sights – St. George’s Church and Monastery complex in the village of Ubisa

St. George’s Monastery is situated in the village of Ubisa (Georgian: უბისა) in the Imereti region of Georgia. The monastic complex comprises the 9th-century St. George’s Monastery founded by St. Gregory, a tower and fragments of a 12th-century defensive wall. The four-storey tower was built by Simon Chkondideli in 1141. The monastery contains a unique … Continue reading →

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About Architecture – Davit Agmashenebeli Avenue, Tbilisi

Davit Agmashenebeli Avenue (Georgian: დავით აღმაშენებლის გამზირი) is named after David IV of Georgia and is located in an historic district of Tbilisi close to the left embankment of the Mtkvari River. Much of the area was built by the German contractor Friederich Vezel in the 1880s. It is one of the most popular shopping streets in … Continue reading →

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About Food – Lobio with Nuts (ლობიო ნიგვზით)

Lobio (Georgian: ლობიო), is a popular Georgian dish made with kidney beans and usually eaten with Mchadi and marinaded vegetables. The Georgian word ‘lobio’ means ‘beans’. There are a number of varieties of this dish and in this recipe we show how to make a particular Georgian favorite – lobio with nuts. Ingredients (4-6 servings): 400 grams … Continue reading →

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About History – Ballooning in Tiflis

The first hot air balloon flight in Georgia was undertaken by a French balloonist called Bede on 10 November, 1882. Bede rose into the air in a Montgolfier balloon from Mushtaidi Gardens in Tiflis (old name of Tbilisi) and reached a height of 200-300 meters. The Frenchman went on to carry out several flights in Tiflis, including … Continue reading →

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About Food – Ham Chashushuli (რაჭული ლორის ჩაშუშული)

In this recipe we will show how to make a ham dish from the Racha region of Georgia. Ingredients: 150 grams of smoked ham (we used Georgian ham from Racha), 2 large carrots, 2 large onions, 1 clove of garlic, ground pepper (black and red), quarter tsp of ground coriander, 50 grams tomato paste or … Continue reading →

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About Sights – The Money Museum of the National Bank of Georgia

The Money Museum of the National Bank of Georgia in Kvareli in Kakheti Region is the place to go to see the centuries-old history of money circulation in Georgia, from the 6th century B.C. up to the present. The exhibits cover twenty-six centuries and contain Colchian tetri, Alexander the Great staters, coins of the Roman Republic and Empire, … Continue reading →

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About Sights – The Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography (Georgian: გიორგი ჩიტაიას სახელობის ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი ღია ცის ქვეშ)

The Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography (Georgian: გიორგი ჩიტაიას სახელობის ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი ღია ცის ქვეშ) was founded in 1966 by the famous Georgian ethnographer Giorgi Chitaia, whose name it bears. The open-air museum is located on a hill overlooking the Vake district of Tbilisi. The 52 hectare site houses around 70 buildings that … Continue reading →

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