Evening. Moonlight.Park, nature, bench… On the bench – he and she. Another night. Park, nature, bench… On the bench – he, but she is different. 😳 Next night. Park, nature, bench… On the bench – the same he, new she. Even the next night… But it’s a long story. Let us drink to the permanence of men and the variability of women.
Today we are in Georgia. A country that for me is best known for its fun and instructive toasts. 🙂 But besides that, Georgia is a mysterious and romantic country – here Jason discovers the Golden Fleece, and Prometheus is nailed to Mount Kazbek after stealing fire from the gods, and here on the banks of the Terek River lived the fearless tribe of Amazons. Or so the legends say. The country is quite unknown to us, although it is relatively close – it is located on the Black Sea coast and in the Caucasus Mountains. It has been located on important trade routes for thousands of years and this has affected the way of life, culture, food and life in general in this Transcaucasian land. Georgians call their country Sakartvelo, but for the rest of the world this name is not necessary. The roots of the Georgian people can be traced far back in history; their cultural heritage is ancient and rich. During the Middle Ages, there was a very strong Georgian kingdom, reaching its peak of development between the 10th and 13th centuries. After a long period of Turkish and Persian rule, Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire in the 19th century. An independent Georgian state existed from 1918 to 1921, when it was incorporated into the Soviet Union. In 1936, Georgia became a constituent (union) republic and continued as such until the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet period, the Georgian economy was modernized and diversified. One of the most pro-independence republics, Georgia declared sovereignty on November 19, 1989, and independence on April 9, 1991. The 1990s were a period of instability and civil unrest in Georgia, as the first post-independence government was overthrown, and separatist movements emerged in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The holidays are the best opportunity to immerse oneself in the national culture of a country, to get acquainted with the locals, to learn many interesting facts, to enjoy delicious local dishes and just have a great time. Georgia is no exception – every year the country hosts various color festivals dedicated to national holidays and other events. Batumiba is a day of Batumi – a bright and colorful Georgian Black Sea resort. On this day the city is beautifully decorated, many concerts are organized with the participation of local and foreign music groups. The main festival event for Georgia is Gandagana. This is the name of the traditional Adjara dance. During the two-day Gandagan, you will be able to get acquainted with the rural traditions in this region. The festival usually falls on September 3-4.
One of the main autumn events in Georgia is picking grapes. For Georgia, the ancient country of winemaking in the world, this is not just an ordinary process of agriculture, but a real ritual that unites all relatives and friends. According to archeological finds, wine was produced and drunk in these lands 8000 years ago! There is no exact date for Rtveli, as it depends on the harvest dates in a particular region. It is most interesting to visit the region of Kakheti – the center of wine production in Georgia. In this picturesque region the festival is held with a special scale and color. And despite the fact that Rtveli is a family event, visitors can also participate in it. The hosts will be happy. Ripe grapes are cut with a knife and placed in baskets, and then the crop is moved to clay containers – kvevri. After the grape harvest, the festive table begins – it is full of delicious local dishes – appetizing barbecue, kachapuri, local cheese, freshly baked bread and, of course, homemade wine. Rtveli is a holiday full of fun, entertainment, noise and jokes. 🙂 And a lot of Georgian toasts, of course. 😉
Located at the crossroads of East and West, Georgia falls into the orbit of many cultural influences and empires. In peacetime, as traders carried goods and spices along the Great Silk Road, Georgians adopted new spices and cooking methods, adopting and incorporating foreign ingredients and styles into their food. Over the centuries, Georgian food has been influenced by the Mediterranean world, Arab and Mongolian flavors, Persian and Ottoman cuisines, and even influence from northern India. Georgian food and wine culture is best observed during Supra – a traditional holiday that includes a wide range of different dishes, always accompanied by large quantities of wine, lasting several hours. Khinkali is a popular dumpling, prepared with a variety of fillings. In the mountains it is made with lamb, which is found in abundance, and elsewhere a mixture of minced meat and pork is used. Hinkali’s origins cannot be traced precisely; some attribute it to Tatar influence, others claim that hinkali is an absolutely typical Georgian dish. No Georgian holiday is complete without Khachapuri. According to many, this is the Georgian classic, cheese, bread par excellence. Its shape and texture vary from region to region: it can have a thin or thick crust, it can contain one or many layers, Khachapuri can take a round, triangular or rectangular shape of any size and even be offered as an egg boat in the middle, as is the case with Khachapuri of Adjara, Georgia’s Black Sea coastal region. I ate one in Russia, in a Georgian restaurant. It’s my favorite.
A skewer of meat, be it beef, lamb or pork, is a typical dish in Georgia. While the choice of meat varies from region to region, and also according to the seasons, the method of grilling is more or less the same throughout the country. Old vine sticks are considered the best choice of wood for the skewer. After grilling, the meat is removed from the skewers and mixed in a bowl with thinly chopped onions and pomegranate juice. The onions are lightly caramelized and the pomegranate juice forms a soft, sour sauce with the meat juices. Georgians consume a lot of cheese and each region has its own diversity. Sulguni is a specialty of Western Georgia and is perhaps the most delicious semi-soft Georgian cheese. The high moisture content is reminiscent of mozzarella. Guda has a sharp taste and is a cheese from Tusheti, traditionally made from sheep’s milk and aged in sheepskin.
For the blog, I chose to make a traditional Georgian honey cake. Here are the necessary products for it:
for cake bases:
3 eggs
2 1/2 tea cups flour
1/2 tea cups sugar
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
for cream:
3 tea cups of milk
100 grams of butter
1 tea cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
vanilla
Steps of preparation:
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar and honey for about 5 minutes. Then, in a thin stream without stop stirring, add the beaten eggs with a fork.
Cook for another minute. Add the baking soda and flour. Stir until the dough is homogeneous.
Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll out the crusts and bake them in a 22 cm diameter pan on baking paper at 170 degrees for 5-6 minutes each. Do not bake them anymore, because they will burn. Allow them to cool completely.
Beat the egg, sugar and flour for the cream. Mix with the milk and cook until the cream thickens, stirring constantly. Beat the butter and add it to the cream together with the vanilla.
Now it remains to assemble the cake. Alternate cake bases and cream and finally smear the cake everywhere with cream. Decorate as you like.
I made a similar cake according to a Russian recipe. The cake bases are the same, but the cream is different. And on top of that, I buy ready-made cake bases for her from Russian stores. So I decorated this cake with one cake base left over from before. I ground it in a blender into crumbs and glued the cake. I finished with candied and crushed rose petals and a little mint for freshness. 🙂
I started with a toast and I will end with a toast, because there is a lot of wisdom and a sense of humor in Georgian toasts, and I plan to pour myself a glass of good red wine and eat a piece of cake. 🙂
A man and a woman went to a Christmas party organized by the man’s company every year. He shows her his acquaintances: – This is the boss Ivan, this is his wife, and this is his mistress. This is my colleague Georgi, this is his wife, and this is his mistress… And this one, the blonde one, is my mistress… – Ours is the most beautiful! His wife said proudly. So let’s drink to ours!
Next destination – Guam.
