Georgia (9)







Wow! Last night, I went to a Georgian 'Supra.' This is a kind of party
that involves a lot of eating and drinking. The most interesting part is
when the 'Tamada' (the toastmaster) stands up and begins with the various
toasts. These toasts are well thought out and follow a pattern as the night
progresses. We also listened to Georgian traditional music played by a live

band. It was really a wonderful experience!

Our trainees took us out but I want to get permission from them before I
post any photos of them. Until then, here are a few 'neutral' shots.

#1 Traditional Georgian food--no one left this party hungry (or thirsty)
#2 The band!
#3 Some anonymous dancers from the audience
I'm going to post a video later today that presents the music being played.
I'm anxiously awaiting your feedback!

Comments

  1. Hey Russ -- tell us about the food, hard to tell but it looks like pierogi or ravioli -- and beer -- what else did you eat/drink? Caye

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  2. Hey, Caye!

    I don't know the Georgian names very well. But, I remember eating Hingali (a kind of meat dumpling), cucumbers and tomatoes mixed with a walnut sauce,barbecued pork and onions, Lobiani (bread with brown beans), Hachapuri (similar to a cheese pizza), Megruli Hachapuri, egg plant, steamed mushrooms, etc. Hmm, the drinks? White wine, red wine, beer, vodka, I think that's it! I'm paying for it today as I write. What a headache!!!

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  3. Sounds sort of like a cross between Eastern European and Middle Eastern foods -- and I'm guessing you now know why they call it Supra -- LOL, thanks for sharing your trip with us -- I'm adding Georgia on my list of places I wanna go. Caye

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  4. Caye, I'm so happy to hear that! If you come here, you'll not regret it.

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  5. Lobiani sounds good...do you know how was it prepared?

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  6. It looks like the Old House restaurant, down by the river- really one of the nicest places to go for traditional Georgian food. The dumplings are 'Khinkali', and Khachapuri comes in several varieties- each region has it's own specialty.
    Just a tip- when you're at a supra and headed for a lot of drinking (the Tamada toasts, etc) you'll notice that Georgian men will switch to white wine, it leaves less of a headache the next day ;) Women are not expected to keep up with the drinking- but it's a point of pride that Georgian men can hold their liquor. I wouldn't recommend trying to keep up with them!

    I was fortunate enough to live in Tbilisi for two years, and will hopefully be returning, at least for a visit, sometime soon.

    I've really enjoyed being there vicariously through your postings, Russ!

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  7. Margherita:

    They either put the beans inside the bread or keep the beans separate and bake a kind of cornbread that you eat with the beans. I prefer the latter to the former. Anyway, you need to get here as soon as possible before everything begins to change. I predict this will be the next great tourist destination!

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  8. Hi, Laurie!

    First of all, thanks so much for reading the site and for your kind words. Wow! You lived here for two years? You are truly fortunate. Can you tell me how you were able to stay here so long? I wish I could do the same.

    Ha, ha! Yes, after the third shot of vodka, I was really feeling it! However, the tamada kept going but I suspect he suffered in the end as well based on his body language. I'll see him on Monday at work but I'm sure he'll be in a state of denial!

    Again, comment anytime. I'd love to hear more about your experiences in T'bilisi!

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  9. I found a recipe for Lobiani...I'm going to have to try to make it and see how it turns out! Let's hope that Georgian food and culture survives at least until I can get to the country for a visit! ;)

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  10. Oh, Margherita! You must come here quickly and experience paradise! One thing I fear is that I can't find any Georgian food back in the US. Maybe some of my friends here could cook something and mail it to me. Do you think I could still eat it after the transport time??

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