The wine world’s cool kids are buzzing about Georgia.
That is, the Georgia that is bordered on the North by Russia, to the South by Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
If you’re interested in a culture that, 8,000 years ago, gave birth to wine-making and still makes some wine by the ancient method, I have a book for you. If you’re interested in visiting a country that is far off the tourist path, I have a tour guide for you. If you’re a foodie who wants to try dishes you won’t find in an restaurant in Amerrica, here are 70 recipes. And if you’re an armchair traveler who would never go halfway around the world even to see vistas and customs unchanged for centuries, here are 400 pictures so crisp you’d swear they were photo-shopped.
All of that is in what’s fair to say is the only book you’ll ever read about this raw countryside and its charming people: “Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus.” No surprise that the author is Carla Capalbo, who has made a career of profiling overlooked regions, cuisines and wines and has, over the years, produced one classic title after another.
She heard about Georgia as a child. Her mother danced under the direction of George Balanchine, whose father was a Georgian opera singer and composer. “You’d love Georgia,” she told Carla. “The food and wine are delicious, and there are cows in the roads.”
Decades later, she got interested in the Georgian wine-making tradition of burying wine in large terra-cotta casks called qvervri. The wine ages naturally, with the sediment settling in the qvervri’s pointed bottom. In any other country, you would say these are quaint traditions from as disappearing way of life — but in Georgia they endure.
In 2013, Capalbo visited Georgia. “It only took a few days for me to fall in love with the people, their food, wine and culture,” she says. Before she left, she knew she’d be doing a book.
And why not? Meals in Georgia are social events, without a rigid course structure. Small dishes cover the table. The recipes haven’t changed for centuries. They don’t need to: The stars are grilled meats, vegetables garnished with herbs, nuts and spices. At the most popular restaurant in the country, found on a side road between towns, the menu — soup dumplings, grilled pork, tarragon lemonade — hasn’t changed since 1966.
And the variety of landscapes! In the mountains, shepherds bring flocks of sheep down at the end of the day and then the sheep dutifully go off to their own homes. In a 6,600-foot-high resort town, every room in the shockingly affordable hotel has a view of the mountains. At a wine house near the Black Sea, you have lunch in the garden under a canopy.
Georgia’s culture stands everything we know on its head. To turn the pages of this book is an unsettling pleasure — you go back to a time of small family farms, people who know one another all their lives, and a definition of news that involves events no more than a valley away. If I could just time-travel…
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$47.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 21
Only 10 left in stock - order soon.
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
Inside this book
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Georgia: a short history |
An introduction to Georgian wineHow to make wine in qvevri The history of wine in Georgia The Tamada’s Tale |
An introduction to Georgian foodAbout the Supra |
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
The elements of Georgian cuisine: ingredients |
How to cook Georgian foodAbout the recipes |
Khachapuri and filled breadsThe master recipe |
KhinkaliThe master recipe |
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
TbilisiTbilisi: a brief history Where to eat, drink, shop and stay Three women chefs
|
The center: Mtskheta and the Kartlis
|
East to Kakheti
|
South-west to Samtskhe-javakheti
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
West to ImeretiFood and Wine
|
The black sea coast: Guria and Adjure
|
West to SamegreloMegrelian food The Megrelian house To see in Samegrelo
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
North-west to SvanetiOn Svanetian food Svaneti: a short history Becho Valley Ski slopes and glaciers
|
West and north to Racha-lechkhumi
|
North to Kazbegi and Upper Mtskheta MtianetiFood
|
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
This book transports you to a specific place for some beautiful Georgian cuisine!
Once again, Interlink Books has released a beautiful collection of recipes, stories and photographs that transport you to a specific place. In this case, an unsung country located between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea. In addition to 70 authentic recipes, the book includes 60 restaurant and wine bar profiles, 40 wineries and visits to the region's best chefs and markets. Upon reading the book, you'll have an intimate understanding of what makes this cuisine so vibrant, rich and intriguing - as well as delicious! Award winning author Carla Capalbo traveled extensively across Georgia - collecting these recipes and sharing the stories. Having recently completed Darra Goldstein's fantastic book, 'Beyond The North Wind', we were reminded of some similar dishes and flavor profiles - vegetables blended with walnuts and aromatic herbs, subtly spiced stews, and cheese-filled breads. Not to mention the much sought-after ancient natural, organic wines. We decided on an epic single feast featuring two dishes from the book:• Mulberry and Goat Cheese Salad - While fresh mulberries are tough to source here in Chicago, juicy blackberries made for a fantastic substitute. We chose a selection of crunchy Spring greens and dressed the simple salad with a classic champagne vinegar and olive oil dressing. Goat cheese adds a welcome richness while fresh ground black pepper adds a pleasant bite.• Grilled Chicken with Garlic Sauce - Do you love garlic? This dish is for you! Marinating the chicken thighs overnight in garlic and coriander seals in the distinct flavor. A quick pan sauce of the chicken fat, additional garlic and sour cream provides a tasty base for the perfectly cooked chicken. While we are fairly certain the Georgian ancestors did not own an Instant Pot, we utilized ours for the dish - first by pressure cooking the chicken, and then finishing using the "air fryer" feature. The results were nothing short of amazing - with a perfectly crisp, brown crust concealing the juicy meat underneath. We think even the most traditional purists would approve!
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
If you're going to read one book about Georgia, this is the one. (Caution: Then you plan your trip.)
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
Sarah M. Grunwald
If you buy only one book on Georgian cuisine, this is the one.
Reviewed in Italy on November 24, 2017Reed
Joys of an unknown cuisine revealed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2020