Kutaisi Food Tour in a Local Family
Tour Overview
Step inside a warm, welcoming family home in Kutaisi for the ultimate immersion into Imeretian food culture. The Imereti region is celebrated across Georgia for its vibrant use of fresh mountain herbs, walnuts, and walnuts-based sauces. This hands-on culinary experience skips the standard restaurants to put you directly in the kitchen with a local family. You'll learn generational secrets to rolling, folding, and seasoning traditional dishes before sitting down to a festive, multi-course feast paired with homemade family wines.
What You Will See & Experience
A Warm Family Welcome: Step through the doors of a local home and experience Georgia's legendary hospitality firsthand. You will be greeted with a glass of family-made Chacha (grape brandy) or house wine as you tour the family garden where many of the dinner's fresh herbs and vegetables are picked.
The Art of Imeretian Khachapuri: Master the technique behind Georgia鈥檚 most iconic cheese bread. Your hosts will show you how to knead the soft dough and stuff it with an abundance of local, slightly sour Imeretian cheese, baking it on a clay pan until the crust is golden and the center is beautifully melted.
Hand-Rolling Authentic Khinkali: Learn the patient art of folding giant dumplings. You will practice rolling out the dough wrappers, adding the perfectly spiced meat filling, and mastering the tricky 19-pleat twisting technique required to seal the steaming, savory broth safely inside.
Grinding Imeretian Pkhali & Walnut Pastes: Work with a traditional mortar and pestle or grinder to blend walnuts, garlic, blue fenugreek, dried marigold, and fresh coriander. You'll use this aromatic paste to create Pkhali (minced spinach or beetroot patties topped with pomegranate seeds) and dress grilled eggplants.
The Sizzling Ojakhuri Masterclass: Help prepare a comforting, classic family dish. You will assist in frying up thick chunks of marinated pork, potatoes, onions, and garlic in a traditional Ketsi (clay baking dish) until the meat is perfectly tender and crisp.
A Traditional Supra (Feast) Celebration: Sit down at the long family table to enjoy the fruits of your labor. The table will be piled high with your creations, alongside extra family specialties like Elargji or fresh Jonjoli (pickled bladdersnut flowers).
The Role of the Tamada (Toastmaster): Experience a true Georgian ritual. A family member will step into the role of the Tamada to guide the dinner through traditional, poetic toasts鈥攃elebrating friendship, family, and peace鈥攖eaching you the proper etiquette of Georgian drinking culture.
Family Wine Cellar Tasting: Sample natural white and amber wines tapped straight from the family's private supply. Your hosts will explain how they harvest and ferment their grapes, giving you an authentic taste of local everyday life.