Join Trip Experience Leader Maia Mukhuradze for a lesson in crafting handmade khinkali—traditional Georgian dumplings stuffed with a meat filling. Read on for the recipe to prepare them at home, and join us to sample the real deal during Georgia & Armenia: Ancient Lands of the Southern Caucasus.
Maia Mukhuradze, Georgia & Armenia Trip Experience Leader.
With dramatic mountain landscapes and famously welcoming people, the Republic of Georgia in the south Caucasus has rapidly risen from obscurity since ramping up for tourism just two decades ago. "Georgia was extremely popular before the pandemic, and now we are slowly returning to pre-pandemic popularity," says Trip Experience Leader Maia Mukhuradze. "Travelers are interested in seeing something unique and different."
With more than 100 nationalities and ethnicities living within one tiny country, the diversity certainly makes Georgia unique—but as with any former Soviet state, its history is complicated. While Maia lives just outside the capital of Tbilisi, her family originally came from Abkhazia in the northwest of the country—an area now occupied by Russia. "My mother’s family suffered a lot during the Soviet period," she says. "My grandmother’s entire family was sent to Siberia, and my great-grandfather was killed for being part of the royal family. And all our family properties were seized and never given back."
We travel to the Kazbegi region in the Caucasus Mountains for a lesson in making dumplings.
Yet the Soviet era is just one chapter in a vast history of a country that once served as a stop on the Silk Road—and, therefore, as a confluence of cultures. Its proximity to Central Asia belies a distinctly European vibe, which is due in part to its adoption of Christianity in the first century AD. All these influences contribute to a fascinating cultural identity—and deliciously varied cuisine. "I have so many mixtures in my DNA," says Maia, "so I have way too many favorite dishes from all regions of Georgia."
Among her favorites? "Chicken in walnut sauce, wild mushrooms, all dishes with eggplant, and a bean dish called lobio." Georgia is also famous for its wines, which have been produced here for more than 8,000 years. "I personally prefer wines from the Gori region and western Georgia," she says.
One comfort food classic is so beloved, O.A.T. travelers learn to prepare it in a local home during Georgia & Armenia. "Khinkali are dumplings from the mountainous region of Mtiuluri," she says. Read on for the recipe, and watch Maia’s video to see the technique firsthand.
"American travelers are usually surprised by our cuisine," says Maia. "They do not expect to have so many fresh and absolutely delicious vegetable dishes." (Perhaps we’ll consider Georgian vegetables for a different edition of The Inside Scoop!) "Travelers are also surprised by how easy it is to communicate—and even when locals don’t know English, they are always very friendly." Even more surprising? "Georgian drivers," Maia laughs. "Travelers are usually surprised that we don’t have car accidents, because to their standards, Georgians drive fast."
Mtiuluri Khinkali
500 grams (a little over one pound) flour
300 grams (a little less than 3/4 lb) ground pork
200 grams (a little less than 1/2 lb) ground beef
3 onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground caraway seed
Salt, to taste
Preparation:
- To make the mixture, combine meat, onions, cumin, caraway, and red pepper. To taste for salt, start with a teaspoon and cook a small amount to test. Add as much water, bit by bit, as the mixture will absorb without becoming too loose.
- To make the dough, make a mound of the flour and carefully pour about a cup of salted water into the middle. Knead until it forms a hard dough. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut the dough into rounds, and roll out each round into a thin layer—but not so thin that it tears.
- Add about one teaspoon of filling to each round, and secure using the folding and twisting technique shown in the video.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the dumplings into the pot, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When the dumplings float to the surface, they are ready to take out and eat.
Learn to prepare khinkali and experience Georgia’s culture and hospitality during Georgia & Armenia: Ancient Lands of the Southern Caucasus.
