About Georgia
“Spending on feasting and wine is better than hoarding our substance. That which we give makes us richer, that which is hoarded is lost” - The Knight in the Panther's Skin, Shota Rustaveli, 12th Century Georgian poet
In the above verse from The Knight in the Panther's Skin poem, Shota Rustaveli accurately describes the Georgian perspective on life. Open-hearted hospitality over centuries characterizes the Georgian people regardless of their station in life.
The visitors to Georgia - the bountiful land inhabited by the Georgian people called Sakartvelo in the Georgian language - typically say: open, warm and engaging southern culture, great food, wine and conversation, hospitality without borders, historical, educated, stylish, charming, witty, multi-cultural, easy to socialize and make friends.
Georgia shares the Black Sea with Turkey and borders Russia in the north, Armenia in the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast. Surrounded by powerful empires and located strategically between Asia and Europe, Georgia was mostly at war. Its history is the history of bloody wars, subjugations and a constant fight for independence. This all created a national identity, where a deep love for country was intertwined with striving for freedom against any occupation. Georgians love their national cuisine, as it has always been part of the Georgian identity. For Georgian immigrants, be they Iranian or Turkish hostages, forced migrants in Russia in the nineteenth century, or even today as voluntary émigrés, food often was and still is the tie with their motherland.
Georgia is positioned between the East and the West, and in ancient times the Silk Road passed through this strategic doorway. The diversity of Georgia’s climate zones is impacted by the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains and fertile agricultural lands and waterways. As a result, Western Georgia has a subtropical climate, while Eastern Georgia has a temperate climate.
As one of the hallmarks of Georgian culture, hospitality stems from the path of the Silk Road through the Georgian territory, bringing a variety of languages, cultures and trade. This cultural exchange exposed Georgians to novel foods and spices. Travelers and guests have always been honored in Georgia. The Georgian tradition has always been to provide the hospitality of good food, wine and conversation in their homes to travelers and guests. The supra, or Georgian table, grew out of this tradition and is still used today to celebrate significant life events such as births, marriages and birthdays in addition to other celebrations with family and friends.
Georgia’s culture of chivalry and the diversity of its climate, nature, cuisine and special charm, attracted, and continues to attract visitors to visit the ancient land, which is associated with a lot of legends. The favorite legend told by Georgians, with some variations, tells about the beginnings of the beautiful land. In the legend, the Georgians were so busy feasting and toasting that they were late in meeting God, who was distributing land to the people of the Earth. Despite their tardiness, God was so impressed by the eloquent Georgians, who praised him through numerous toasts, that He gave them the most beautiful and bountiful land, which He had created for Himself.
We can learn from myths and legends. The first Georgian kingdom of Colchis, established along the Black Sea coast in the eleventh century B.C., is associated with legend of the Golden Fleece. To get rid of a rightful heir to the throne, King Pelias sends Jason to Colchis to fetch the Golden Fleece. He hopes that Jason will die during the unexpectedly long and dangerous trip. The mythical world was not without maneuvering and power struggles and played the game of thrones well. Jason and 50 Greek heroes sail to Colchis, where he meets Medea, the daughter of the king of Colchis. Medea likely met Jason at the court of her father King Aeetes of Colchis, who almost definitely would host such guests by throwing the most elaborate feasts in their honor, using fresh produce and wine lavishly supplied by the ancient land. The princess falls in love with Jason and helps him in his quest for the Golden Fleece. Jason succeeds in his quest and as a true hero and a man of honor, marries the princess and takes her to Greece. Here the happy part of the legend ends. The Georgian princess was not happy abroad and perhaps suffered from nostalgia, so typical for all Georgians as soon as they depart their beloved land. Their unhappy marriage ends in dramatic events. Unhappy and frustrated by Jason’s infidelity, Medea in her vengeance kills their two sons.
In 1984, Tim Severin, a British explorer, built a replica of the Argo ship and followed the mythic route of Jason and his Argonauts, sailing from Greece via the Bosphorus and Marmara Sea to the Georgian town of Poti on the Black Sea coast. His journey proved that the Golden Fleece was not a myth and that it was possible for intrepid Greek heroes to reach the Black Sea coast.
It has been proven that Georgians used sheepskin to mine gold in the mountainous rivers, which on a small scale happens even in today’s Svanetia region. We also learn that sheep breeding played an important role in the economies of the ancient land, and the Greek heroes most likely were treated to savory grilled lamb. Sheep has always supplied food, clothes, energy, and other essentials to Georgians and other peoples of the region. Other examples are the famous Georgian burka overcoats and papakha hats made from wool. The best breed of sheep was the fat tailed sheep; the fat was used for cooking and oil for lamps.
Another ancient kingdom of Georgia, Kartli, which was also known under the name of Iberia in the ancient world, was established in central and eastern Georgia, with its capital in Mtskheta. Mtskheta served as the capital of Georgia until the fifth century, when Georgian King Vakhtang Gorgasali discovered warm sulfur springs and moved his capital city to a new location. The modern capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, was named in reference to these warm springs, as “tbili” means warm in the Georgian language.
I hope that this initial information on Georgia simply wets you appetite and interest for even more to be explored and exposed about the lands, cultures, food, wine and peoples of Georgia!
The visitors to Georgia - the bountiful land inhabited by the Georgian people called Sakartvelo in the Georgian language - typically say: open, warm and engaging southern culture, great food, wine and conversation, hospitality without borders, historical, educated, stylish, charming, witty, multi-cultural, easy to socialize and make friends.
Georgia shares the Black Sea with Turkey and borders Russia in the north, Armenia in the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast. Surrounded by powerful empires and located strategically between Asia and Europe, Georgia was mostly at war. Its history is the history of bloody wars, subjugations and a constant fight for independence. This all created a national identity, where a deep love for country was intertwined with striving for freedom against any occupation. Georgians love their national cuisine, as it has always been part of the Georgian identity. For Georgian immigrants, be they Iranian or Turkish hostages, forced migrants in Russia in the nineteenth century, or even today as voluntary émigrés, food often was and still is the tie with their motherland.
Georgia is positioned between the East and the West, and in ancient times the Silk Road passed through this strategic doorway. The diversity of Georgia’s climate zones is impacted by the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains and fertile agricultural lands and waterways. As a result, Western Georgia has a subtropical climate, while Eastern Georgia has a temperate climate.
As one of the hallmarks of Georgian culture, hospitality stems from the path of the Silk Road through the Georgian territory, bringing a variety of languages, cultures and trade. This cultural exchange exposed Georgians to novel foods and spices. Travelers and guests have always been honored in Georgia. The Georgian tradition has always been to provide the hospitality of good food, wine and conversation in their homes to travelers and guests. The supra, or Georgian table, grew out of this tradition and is still used today to celebrate significant life events such as births, marriages and birthdays in addition to other celebrations with family and friends.
Georgia’s culture of chivalry and the diversity of its climate, nature, cuisine and special charm, attracted, and continues to attract visitors to visit the ancient land, which is associated with a lot of legends. The favorite legend told by Georgians, with some variations, tells about the beginnings of the beautiful land. In the legend, the Georgians were so busy feasting and toasting that they were late in meeting God, who was distributing land to the people of the Earth. Despite their tardiness, God was so impressed by the eloquent Georgians, who praised him through numerous toasts, that He gave them the most beautiful and bountiful land, which He had created for Himself.
We can learn from myths and legends. The first Georgian kingdom of Colchis, established along the Black Sea coast in the eleventh century B.C., is associated with legend of the Golden Fleece. To get rid of a rightful heir to the throne, King Pelias sends Jason to Colchis to fetch the Golden Fleece. He hopes that Jason will die during the unexpectedly long and dangerous trip. The mythical world was not without maneuvering and power struggles and played the game of thrones well. Jason and 50 Greek heroes sail to Colchis, where he meets Medea, the daughter of the king of Colchis. Medea likely met Jason at the court of her father King Aeetes of Colchis, who almost definitely would host such guests by throwing the most elaborate feasts in their honor, using fresh produce and wine lavishly supplied by the ancient land. The princess falls in love with Jason and helps him in his quest for the Golden Fleece. Jason succeeds in his quest and as a true hero and a man of honor, marries the princess and takes her to Greece. Here the happy part of the legend ends. The Georgian princess was not happy abroad and perhaps suffered from nostalgia, so typical for all Georgians as soon as they depart their beloved land. Their unhappy marriage ends in dramatic events. Unhappy and frustrated by Jason’s infidelity, Medea in her vengeance kills their two sons.
In 1984, Tim Severin, a British explorer, built a replica of the Argo ship and followed the mythic route of Jason and his Argonauts, sailing from Greece via the Bosphorus and Marmara Sea to the Georgian town of Poti on the Black Sea coast. His journey proved that the Golden Fleece was not a myth and that it was possible for intrepid Greek heroes to reach the Black Sea coast.
It has been proven that Georgians used sheepskin to mine gold in the mountainous rivers, which on a small scale happens even in today’s Svanetia region. We also learn that sheep breeding played an important role in the economies of the ancient land, and the Greek heroes most likely were treated to savory grilled lamb. Sheep has always supplied food, clothes, energy, and other essentials to Georgians and other peoples of the region. Other examples are the famous Georgian burka overcoats and papakha hats made from wool. The best breed of sheep was the fat tailed sheep; the fat was used for cooking and oil for lamps.
Another ancient kingdom of Georgia, Kartli, which was also known under the name of Iberia in the ancient world, was established in central and eastern Georgia, with its capital in Mtskheta. Mtskheta served as the capital of Georgia until the fifth century, when Georgian King Vakhtang Gorgasali discovered warm sulfur springs and moved his capital city to a new location. The modern capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, was named in reference to these warm springs, as “tbili” means warm in the Georgian language.
I hope that this initial information on Georgia simply wets you appetite and interest for even more to be explored and exposed about the lands, cultures, food, wine and peoples of Georgia!