Tasting Georgia

The most comprehensive book on Georgian food and wine ever written in English. Carla Capalbo spent years traveling across Georgia, from Tbilisi to the Black Sea coast, collecting recipes and stories from family kitchens, traditional winemakers, and the country’s best cooks. The result is a 464-page book that works as cookbook, travel guide, and cultural portrait all at once.

Why Start Here

Most Georgian cookbooks give you recipes without context. Capalbo gives you the whole picture. She organizes the book by region, taking you through ten distinct parts of the country, each with its own culinary identity. You learn that Adjaran khachapuri (the famous boat-shaped cheese bread with an egg on top) comes from the Black Sea coast, that Kakhetian cooking leans heavily on walnut sauces, and that Imeretian cheese is the key to the best lobiani.

The 70-plus recipes cover all the essentials: khachapuri in multiple regional variations, khinkali (the spiced meat dumplings you eat with your hands), pkhali (vegetable-walnut spreads), satsivi (cold walnut-garlic sauce traditionally served over turkey or chicken), lobio (spiced bean stew), and churchkhela (the candle-shaped walnut-and-grape confection). Capalbo provides substitutions for hard-to-find Georgian ingredients without compromising authenticity, which matters enormously for home cooks outside the Caucasus.

What sets this book apart is the depth. You do not just learn how to make a dish. You learn why it exists, where it comes from, and how it fits into the broader patterns of Georgian eating and hospitality. The photography is stunning, and the wine sections alone are worth the price of admission. Georgia is one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions, with wines traditionally fermented in clay qvevri buried underground.

What to Expect

A large, lavishly photographed book at 464 pages. This is not a quick weeknight recipe collection. It is a reference book and a reading experience. The regional organization means you can explore one area at a time or jump straight to the recipes you want. You will need some specialty ingredients (adjika spice paste, blue fenugreek, Georgian cheese), but Capalbo is practical about substitutions. The recipes range from simple salads and spreads to more involved bread and dumpling projects. Start with the pkhali and lobio before tackling khachapuri and khinkali.