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Georgian people are famous for their hospitality. They respect
guests and are good at being friendly and generous while entertaining
them, especially in their own home. They give parties in honor
of certain respectable people, or for a special events like
a wedding, a birthday, a housewarming, Christmas, Easter,
etc. If you are invited to one of those parties try not to
miss one as it is supposed to be a real performance put up
by the toast master, or the " tamada ". The tamada
acts like a director of the party announcing traditional toasts
to peace, health, happiness, well-being , etc. Tamadas can
make exceptional toasts. Guests at the party are like actors
responding to the toasts and often with their own interpretation.
So, a toast-master ought to be eloquent, intelligent, smart,
sharp-witted and quick-thinking, with a good sense of humor
because very often some of the guests might try to compete
with him on the toast making.
Songs have always accompanied the Georgians in joy and sorrow,
in battle and labor. Special drinking songs and wedding songs
( if it is a wedding party) as well as chants full of humor,
sung by guests during the course of the party contest. It
may sound strange but sometimes even events of social, economic
and political significance are discussed during the table
talks, and some problems are solved peacefully. The atmosphere
at the Georgian table is so friendly and candid that even
the enemies are likely to make up. If there is enough room
at the party you make take part in folk dances. In these dances
and at the table men outgh to be gentlemen and try to be very
polite and respect the ladies.
As for wine, it has been adored by the Georgians as a symbol
of strength and beauty, keeping our spiritual balance and
always filling us with stamina. Georgia is rich in wines and
it has been the pride of Georgian people cultivating it for
centuries and loving it as their own children.
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K H I N K A L I
Ingredients: " Pork-100 gr. " Onions-3 "
Flour-500 gr. " Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the meat into pieces and mince with onions in a bowl.
Season the minced meat with pepper and salt, adding 1/2 glass
of warm water and mix thoroughly. Sift the wheat flour, heap
it up and make a dip in the middle of the heap. Pour a glass
of water into it , add some salt and knead the dough. Roll
out the dough to a thin layer and cut out round pieces using
a glass or a cup for a cutter. Put a spoon full of the meat
mixture in the centre of the dough circle. Gather the edges
together into a bunch and twist the top. Press on them slight
to create a form similar to a bulb. Drop khinkali into boiling
salt water. They tend to drop to the bottom and then rise
to the top of the water. Stir occasionally to prevent from
sticking. Allow to boil for a few minutes. Serve hot.
S A T S I V I
(Turkey or Chicken in Walnut Sauce)
Ingredients: " 1 turkey ( or chicken) " Walnuts
-600 gr. " Onions- 5 " Fenugreek-3 teaspoons "
Garlic- 6 or 7 cloves " Saffron -1/2 teaspoon " Cinnamon-1/2
teaspoon " Vinegar,red pepper and salt to taste.
Cut up a drawn and thoroughly washed turkey into medium-sliced
pieces and put them in a saucepan. Cover it with water and boil.
Remove the scum in the process of boiling . Remove the fat from
the broth and stew finely chopped onions in it. Mince walnuts
through a meat grinder 2 or 3 times. Ground garlic, fenugreek,
coriander, red pepper, saffron and cinnamon; dilute with vinegar.
Leave 2/3 of the broth in the pan, put the prepared mass and
the stewed onions into the pan. Remove it from the stove in
a bout 10 minutes.
MTSVADI
Shish kebab, Shashlik, Grilled Lamb
(Georgian manner)
Ingredients:" 500 g best loin of lamb " 2 onions
" 1 tblsp oil " Salt, pepper " 100 g green onions
" 200 g tomatoes " lemon " 1 tblsp vinegar.
Cut the meat into pieces about 5 cm square and mix with salt,
pepper, finely sliced onion and vinegar (or teaspoonful lemon
juice). Cover with a lid and set aside in a cool place for 2
or 3 hours to marinate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving,
skewer the pieces of meat, alternating with sliced onion. Grill
the shaslik over a charcoal fire turning frequently until tender.
Take the meat off the skewer. Pour over butter and garnish with
green onions, tomatoes and lemon slices. Pass ground dry barberries
or pomegranate juice, and sour plum sauces.
LOBIO,
BEANS AND WALNUTS
(Georgian manner)
Ingredients: " 1 cupful beans " 50 shelled
walnuts " Salt and pepper to taste " 1 onion or 75
g green onions.
Wash and soak the beans in cold water for 3 or 4 hours. Drain,
add cold water t cover and cook until tender; add the chopped
onion and bring to boiling point. Add crushed walnuts to the
beans. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon.
Serve hot or cold sprinkled with chopped greens.
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