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Taste of South Caucasus
What to Eat in the South Caucasus – Top 50 Foods (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
South Caucasian cuisine blends ancient traditions with influences from the Silk Road, the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and the mountains. Shared elements include grilled meats, stuffed vegetables (dolma/tolma), flatbreads, fresh herbs, and dairy, but each country has strong signatures: Georgia is famous for cheese breads, walnut sauces, and wine; Armenia for barbecue and lavash; Azerbaijan for saffron plov and kebabs.
Shared Across the Caucasus
Dolma (Tolma) – Grape leaves, cabbage or vegetables stuffed with spiced meat, rice and herbs – made in every home in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, often served with garlicky yogurt.
Georgia
Khachapuri – Cheese-filled bread with many regional styles. The Adjarian boat-shaped version is topped with egg and butter; Imeretian is a simpler closed round.
Khinkali – Large pleated dumplings filled with spiced meat (and broth). Hold by the top knot, bite, and sip the juice.
Mtsvadi – Georgian grilled meat skewers, often pork or beef, cooked over coals or grapevine wood.
Lobio – Stewed beans, often served in a clay pot with cornbread.
Pkhali – Cold walnut-herb pastes (spinach, beet, eggplant, or cabbage) served as a starter.
Badrijani – Fried eggplant rolls filled with walnut paste, often topped with pomegranate.
Kharcho – Spicy beef or chicken soup with walnuts, herbs, and sometimes rice.
Satsivi – Cold chicken or turkey in a rich walnut-garlic sauce, a New Year’s classic.
Shotis puri – Traditional Georgian bread baked in a clay oven.
Kupati – Spiced Georgian pork or beef sausages, grilled over coals and served with raw onion and pomegranate.
Sulguni – Springy, salty brined cheese from Samegrelo, eaten fresh, smoked or grilled.
Ajapsandali – Eggplant and vegetable stew (Georgia/Azerbaijan).
Chashushuli – Spicy Georgian beef stew with tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
Shkmeruli – Crispy fried chicken baked in a rich garlic and milk sauce, served sizzling in a clay ketsi pan.
Chanakhi – Georgian clay-pot lamb and vegetable stew.
Elarji – Georgian cornmeal and cheese porridge.
Georgian Salad – Tomatoes and cucumbers tossed with herbs, onion and a creamy ground-walnut dressing.
Qvevri Wine – Georgia’s 8,000-year-old tradition of fermenting wine in clay amphorae buried underground.
Armenia
Khorovats – Armenian barbecue of marinated or simply seasoned pork, lamb, or chicken grilled over charcoal.
Khorovats salad
Harissa – Slow-cooked wheat and meat (chicken or lamb) porridge.
Basturma – Air-dried cured beef coated in a spicy garlic-spice paste.
Ghapama – Pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried fruit, and nuts.
Jingalov hats – Herb-stuffed flatbread, especially from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.
Lavash – Thin flatbread baked in a tonir (clay oven); a staple and UNESCO-listed.
Spas – Yogurt-based soup with grains.
Matzoon – Thick fermented yogurt, used in many dishes.
Kanachi – Platters of fresh tarragon, basil, cilantro, dill and green onion served with every Armenian meal.
Ajapsandal – Armenian summer stew of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs, eaten warm or cold with matnakash bread.
Armenian Brandy – Ararat brandy, aged in oak and famous since the 1880s.
Azerbaijan
Plov – Saffron rice with lamb, dried fruit, chestnuts, or herbs. The national dish with dozens of versions.
Shah Plov – Festive plov baked inside lavash so the crust becomes crispy.
Kabab / Lyulya kebab – Grilled minced or cubed meat skewers.
Qutab – Thin stuffed flatbreads filled with meat, greens, or pumpkin.
Dushbara – Small dumplings in broth.
Piti – Slow-cooked lamb and chickpea stew in a clay pot.
Lavangi – Chicken or fish stuffed with walnuts and spices.
Tandir bread – Clay-oven bread.
Narsharab – Tangy reduced pomegranate sauce spooned over kebabs and fish.
Dovga – Warm yogurt soup with rice, chickpeas and lots of fresh herbs.
Qovurma – Azerbaijani fried meat.
Black Tea in Armudu Glasses – Strong black tea served in pear-shaped glasses with jam, lemon and sweets.
Desserts & Sweets
Dried Fruit and Nut Platters – Apricots, persimmons, figs, walnuts and hazelnuts served with tea throughout the region.
Churchkhela – Strings of walnuts or hazelnuts dipped in thickened grape juice and dried – Georgia’s “Snickers.”
Pelamushi – Georgian grape-must pudding thickened with flour, set and topped with walnuts.
Gozinaki – Honey and walnut brittle made for Georgian New Year.
Pakhlava – Layered pastry with nuts and syrup (Azerbaijani style).
Gata – Armenian sweet bread with a buttery, sugary filling (khoriz), baked for holidays.
Shekerbura – Crescent pastries filled with ground nuts and sugar, decorated with tweezers for Novruz.
Notes: Georgia stands out for its walnut sauces, cheese breads, and wine culture. Armenia emphasizes grilled meats, lavash, and hearty stews. Azerbaijan is defined by aromatic saffron plov and kebabs. Meals are communal, and hospitality is central across the region.
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