In Georgia, meat is prepared with soul. There are no strict dietary restrictions here, so the tables are laden with beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. At the same time, each region uses meat in its own way: on the western slopes, people prefer domestic poultry, especially chicken and turkey, while in the east, rich and hearty dishes are often made from beef, pork, and lamb. In this article, we share our own observations and experience gained during tours around Georgia and through communication with our clients.
What Will Surprise You About Georgian Cuisine
When you first arrive in Georgia, you will be impressed not only by the variety of meat dishes, but also by the atmosphere of the feast. Every meal here turns into a full-fledged supra – a celebration where guests gather around the table, toasts follow one after another, and the tamada (toastmaster) keeps the conversation flowing and refills the glasses. In such an atmosphere, the flavors of meat seasoned with fresh herbs, spices, and walnut sauces are revealed especially vividly.
Traveling by rental car through Kakheti, Samegrelo, and Svaneti, you will see how the owners of family wineries grill mtsvadi (barbecue) right in their yards, while grandmothers in the mountains prepare chili for fragrant chikhirtma (a soup made with chicken or lamb broth). Such an experience is difficult to convey in words, but we have tried to capture it in this journey across Georgia’s meat map.
What Types of Meat Are Popular in Georgia
Beef
Beef is the main meat in most regions. In eastern Georgia, it is considered the primary ingredient. From beef, the following dishes are prepared:
- Mtsvadi – juicy charcoal-grilled barbecue. Our guides drew guests’ attention to three types of mtsvadi:
- Classic – tenderloin pieces marinated in onions and spices;
- Basturma – barbecue made from dried and spiced meat;
- Barbecue with eggplant – slices of lamb and beef are wrapped in eggplant strips and then grilled on a skewer.
- Kharcho – a rich soup made from beef, rice, walnuts, and sweet-and-sour additions such as tomatoes, plums, or pomegranate. The classic version is prepared with beef or lamb, but modern variations can be found with chicken or pork. We noticed that in colder regions kharcho is served more often, and farmers like to add more fat to the meat.
- Chashushuli (or ostri) – aromatic stewed meat in tomatoes. In Tbilisi, we tasted this delicacy made from veal; the owner of a small restaurant on Kote Abkhazi Street told us she adds red wine and fresh cilantro to the sauce.
Lamb and Young Lamb
In mountainous regions – Svaneti, Racha, and Tusheti – lamb is considered the primary meat. Local flocks graze on alpine meadows, which makes the meat tender and aromatic. Here are our favorite dishes:
- Chakapuli – a spring stew made from lamb or veal. According to the recipe, the meat is stewed in broth with white wine, tkemali sauce (plum sauce), and plenty of tarragon and cilantro. We cooked chakapuli with a family in Telavi: the hostess used young lamb ribs, added green plums, and a tangy herbal aroma instantly filled the house.
- Ojahuri – roasted meat with potatoes and spices. The name of this dish means “family-style,” and it is traditionally served in a clay pan called ketsi. In Tbilisi, we ordered ojahuri made from pork, but in Guria and Svaneti lamb is offered more often. This is a universal dish for large groups: the meat is fried until golden brown, then stewed with onions, garlic, and khmeli-suneli.
- Salkhino – a large baked piece of lamb cooked whole with vegetables. If you prefer festive outdoor dinners, order this dish during a picnic in the vineyards.
Pork
Pork in Georgia is loved just as much as beef. In the western regions (Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo), pork is often combined with spicy sauces and wine. Several characteristic examples:
- Muzhuji – a cold appetizer made from boiled, partially marinated pork, often from trotters, tails, and meat set in wine vinegar. We were served muzhuji in a summer kitchen in Kutaisi: the pork was tender, and the vinegar’s acidity was perfectly refreshing on a hot day.
- Abkhazuri – patties made from beef or lamb mince wrapped in caul fat and grilled. Local cooks sometimes add pork for juiciness; clients noted that such patties resemble homemade lula kebab.
- Kupaty – Georgian sausages made from pork with garlic, coriander, paprika, and barberry. They are first boiled and then fried in a pan. In the villages of Svaneti, kupaty are served with matsoni (sour milk) and adjika.
Domestic Poultry
The situation with poultry differs between western and eastern Georgia. In the west, most of the meat diet consists of domestic poultry: chickens and turkeys. Poultry dishes here are especially aromatic thanks to the abundance of spices and sauces:
- Chakhokhbili – a meat stew traditionally made from chicken. Today, housewives also use lamb, pork, or other poultry. The dish is fried without oil, then stewed in tomato juice with cilantro, parsley, basil, and garlic. One of our clients from Germany said that chakhokhbili changed his perception of stewed chicken.
- Chikhirtma – a thick soup made from chicken or lamb broth with corn flour, egg yolks, and lemon juice. In Samegrelo, we tried chikhirtma with spicy adjika added.
- Satsivi – a cold walnut sauce with spices poured over chicken or turkey. This is a mandatory dish on the Christmas table. When we conducted a Christmas tour in Tbilisi, the hostess of the apart-hotel prepared satsivi from home-raised chicken, and our guests helped grind the walnuts.
- Chicken Tabaka – young chickens fried in a wide pan under a press. The meat turns out with a crispy crust and juicy center. Usually, chicken tabaka is fried without spices and served with crushed garlic and herbs.
Other Types of Meat and Offal
Georgian cuisine is not limited to familiar types of meat. Among the unusual ingredients:
- Offal and organ meats. Kuchmachi is a hot dish made from liver, heart, lungs, and sometimes tongue, stewed with walnuts and spices. Our clients who enjoy culinary experiments often noted the bright, rich taste of kuchmachi.
- Pheasant and other game. Originally, chakhokhbili was made from pheasant, which is reflected in the name of the dish. Although pheasant is rare today, in some family restaurants in Adjara we tried zhuzhiki – small birds similar to quails.
- Fish and seafood. Since Georgia has access to the Black Sea, dishes made from sturgeon, mullet, and mussels are often found on the menu. However, fish is usually served separately and not mixed with meat.
How Meat Is Served and What Complements It
Bright sauces and herbs are always served with meat dishes. Barbecue is accompanied by tkemali – a sweet-and-sour plum sauce; chicken is served with satsebeli made from tomatoes and cilantro; and beef is complemented with aromatic adjika. Herbs – cilantro, tarragon, basil, parsley – are not just a garnish but a full-fledged ingredient. Meat is rarely eaten alone. It is always accompanied by mchadi (cornbread) or puri (wheat bread), beans, and eggplants. The table also features pickled vegetables (mzhaveuli) and churchkhela – nuts strung on a thread and coated in thickened grape juice. Wine is an essential companion to any meat feast, especially white varieties from Kakheti and red wines from the Racha region.
Why We Love Georgian Meat
Georgian cuisine is not just a list of recipes, but stories of people, family traditions, and the spirit of hospitality. When asked “what kind of meat is eaten in Georgia,” we answer: they eat what grows nearby, what can be cooked together and shared with everyone at the table. This is the main value of the Georgian feast – to share, to invite, to treat generously.
We hope our experience will help you immerse yourself in the gastronomic world of Georgia!
