Georgian food is delicious and Georgians love to eat. A typical Georgian meal consists of many courses including salads, khachapuri (bread made with cheese), ajapsandali (eggplant and other vegetables), lamb and beef kabobs, khinkali (dumplings) and many other items. You can not really go to a Georgian restaurant by yourself, you need at least 5 other people to help you eat all the food. In the photo below I am dining with several of my colleagues (Ms. Gray amongst them).
Georgia also claims to be the birthplace of wine. Everywhere you travel in the wine region, near Azerbaijan, you see vineyards. Many families grow their own grapes and make their own wine. Unlike in Europe and elsewhere, Georgian's make wine by letting it ferment naturally in large pots called, qvevri which are buried underground.
In the photo below we are at a winery with literally miles of underground storage. It was a hot day but the winery was very cool because it was so deep - which is the point. You can see several people wearing blankets.
The Supra is a Georgian feast featuring copious amounts of food and wine. A good supra can last for many hours and requires serious skill and pacing. The supra is based loosely on the Last Supper and there are many rituals and associated traditions. I learned early that you should avoid finishing anything because it will immediately be replenished. It is common to offer many toasts and a tamada presides over the entire feast. By the end the plates are usually piled several layers high on the table and the guests are nearly comatose.
