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The glistening gem of the Caucasus, there’s never a bad time to visit Georgia. Be it a city break in bustling Tbilisi, a week-long road trip to the Black Sea coast or overlanding from Azerbaijan to Armenia, however you end up in Georgia, you will instantly fall in love.
Georgia has an awful lot going for it. The lush countryside, pristine beaches and a history you could spend a lifetime studying barely even scratch the surface of Georgia’s armoury. But there is one thing that stands out above all others: the Georgian cuisine.
An old saying has it that “every meal in Georgia is a feast”, and how true that is. The strange thing is, whilst Georgian cuisine is undoubtably some of the most underrated in the world, you’ll seldom find a Georgian restaurant outside of the country.
That’s even more reason to over-indulge whilst you’re here. Once you’ve worked your way through mountains of khinkali (dumplings), boat loads of khachapuri (stuffed boat-shaped bread) and hearty stews galore, the time will come to turn your attention to Georgian desserts.
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1. Pelamushi
Sometimes called tatara in the eastern Georgia, pelamushi is technically a type of porridge. To my mind, this means it’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy the first of our favorite Georgian desserts for breakfast.
Made from grape juice and flour, combined into a thick jelly, pelamushi is served cold topped off with nuts. Walnuts are most commonly used; a staple in Georgian cuisine, the country’s walnut crop covers almost 9,000 hectares.
Occasionally, you’ll be served a pelamushi with caramelized walnuts which have been fried in honey. These are known as gozinaki and are a true Georgian delicacy which form the basis for the next item on our rundown of the finest Georgian desserts.
2. Churchkhela
As the saying goes, an army marches on its stomach and in Georgia’s case, that stomach was filled with churchkhela. Easy to carry, packed with calories and with no need to be prepared, this one of our favorite Georgian desserts was carried by Georgian warriors in ancient times.
Indeed, so much a part of Georgia’s identity, churchkhela is listed on the Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia.
Not only one of the most delicious Georgian desserts, churchkhela is one of the most simple. Although a widely available, commercial product these days, churchkhela were traditionally prepared in family homes.
Nuts, usually walnuts but sometimes almonds and hazelnuts, are threaded onto a string before being dipped in a mixture of grape juice and flour. Having been left to dry for up to a week, they’re ready to serve.
Where to try Churchkhela in Georgia
As well as being a popular dessert, churchkhela are also the original Georgian street food. Go to any food market and you’ll find them dangling from stalls in their hundreds.
The Dezerter Bazaar in Tbilisi is the ultimate foodie destination and a great place to pick up this sweet and filling Georgian dessert. Whilst you’re there, don’t miss the chance to pick up some authentic local spices to recreate your favorite Georgian meals back home.
Travel tip: To discover the Dezerter Bazaar’s best kept secrets, book a space on this three hour walking tour. You’ll also explore Tbilisi’s quirkiest street art and get to enjoy some tastings of amazing Georgian desserts and cheeses.
3. Chiri
Continuing the theme of simple, dried delicacies, the next on our list of the top Georgian desserts is a fruit lover’s dream. Prepared in a similar method to churchkhela, chiri is dried, candied fruit.
The fruits are laid out to dry on a tray, or hung on a rope like churchkhela, and simply left out in the sun to dry. This process draws the natural sugars out, causing the outer part of the fruit to crystalize.
The most common fruits used in making chiri are locally grown apricots, grapes, apples, figs and plums, although any fruit can be used. At Christmas and New Year, persimmon is especially popular. The persimmon are harvested fresh in the autumn and dried slowly to enhance the flavor.
Where to try Chiri in Georgia
Like churchkhela, chiri are as much one of the finest Georgian desserts as they are street food. You’ll find it in almost every market across the country, but for the best, head to Bazari Orbeliani in Old Tbilisi. Originally opened in 1866, the market fell into disrepair and only recently was given a new lease of life. Just to the side of the market, check out Orbeliani Flower Pavillion, the best flower market in the city.
Travel tip: To delve deeper into Orbeliani’s eclectic food offering, join a local led food tour with nine tastings included.
You’ll also get to sample some delicious Georgian wine. If there’s one thing Georgians are more proud of than their food, it’s their wine. So much so that until a few years ago, every visitor to the country was welcomed with a free bottle at passport control.
4. Medok
Sometimes spelt medoki, this delicious honey cake is the ultimate indulgence. Only introduced during Soviet-rule, medok quickly earned its position as one of the best Georgian desserts. Based on Russian medovik, the Georgian cake uses milk-based cream instead of the more traditional sour cream. If you ask us, it’s all the better for it.
Constructed with layers of dry cake infused with honey, creamy frosting is generously applied between them. Like so many Georgian desserts, the cherry-on-top is, in fact, a walnut. You’ll find this decadent dessert in almost any café no matter where you are in Georgia.
5. Machkatebi
Pancakes are very much a global dish. From towering stacks slathered in syrup in American diners to delicate crepes from Parisian cafes, every cuisine has its own take on this simple floury delight. In true Georgian style, machkatebi take pancakes to another level.
Made from a typical pancake batter of flour, eggs, milk, butter, oil and salt, machkatebi are stuffed with khavitsi (cheese and butter) after being cooked. They’re always served warm and often come with jam or fresh fruit.
Where to try Machkatebi in Georgia
Although you’ll find machkatebi in cafes all over Georgia, if you want to sample the original, head north to Tusheti. Away from the well-trodden tourist trail, mountainous Tusheti is home to some of the country’s most spectacular scenery, as well as being the birthplace of one of the most delicious Georgian desserts.
6. Tklapi
Possibly the most unusual of all Georgian desserts, tklapi is, quite literally, like eating leather. It’s not often we use that phrase in a good sense, but we’ll make an exception for tklapi.
Made from pureed apricots or peaches, a sour version using cherry plums is also popular. It can also be made with the grape juice used in churchkhela and pelamushi.
The fruit puree is rolled out onto a sheet, usually the size of a bath towel, then hung out to dry. If you visit a traditional Georgian farmhouse, it’s not uncommon to see sheets of tklapi hanging from pegs on a washing line as if it were laundry.
Where to try Tklapi in Georgia
Another popular Georgian street food, Tbilisi’s food markets are the best place to sample tklapi. The Dry Bridge Market on the banks of the Mktvari River is a great place to sample this Georgian dessert. One of Tbilisi’s newer flea markets, born with the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, it’s a great spot to pick up traditional handicrafts and antiques.
7. Sokhumi Ice Cream
Named after the Black Sea resort in which it was created, sokhumi is Georgia’s offering to the ice cream world. The ice cream itself is nothing special, if such an epithet can be applied to one of the finest sweet treats ever invented. It’s just standard vanilla ice cream; what makes sokhumi special are the toppings.
Another of the more unique Georgian desserts, sokhumi is topped with a tangy tangerine jam and crushed nuts. The idea behind it was to offer a soothing palate cleanser to round off a spicy meal.
Where to try Sokhumi in Georgia
Naturally, the best place to sokhumi is in Sokhumi. Unfortunately, visiting Sokhumi is neither easy nor advised. Located in the breakaway region of Abkhazia, which cited allegiance to Russia rather than Georgia upon the breakup of the Soviet Union, many governments, including the British FCDO, advise against all travel there.
Luckily, you can find sokhumi elsewhere in Georgia. Amra, on the riverbank in the outskirts of Tbilisi, serve the most authentic. The restaurant’s owners are Sokhumi expats who moved to Tbilisi after the Abkhazia War in 1992.
8. Ponchiki
Another remnant from Georgia’s Soviet-era, ponchiki may have originated in Armenia, but they’re so good their Caucasian neighbor have adopted them as one of the most-loved Georgian desserts. These stuffed donuts are pipe-filled with flavored cream. Vanilla and chocolate are the most popular fillings but jam ponchicki are also available. The dough is so airy that locals often call them punchula, meaning fluffy.
Where to Try Ponchiki in Georgia
Ponchiki are available at most cafes and bakeries across Georgia. To sample some of the more exotic fillings, head to Ponponchiki in Tbilisi. Their signature is the classic vanilla buttercream, but they also have every fruit flavor imaginable plus dark chocolate and salted caramel.
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