I took the best Tbilisi Cooking Class for Georgian Food. Here is how you can take it, too!
No time to read? No problem! Sign up directly for your Tbilisi cooking class here!
Small Group Khinkali and Khachapuri Class – this class takes place inside a small wine-bar. It includes all ingredients, a glass of wine, and fresh salads and local cheese. Choose between meat or vegetarian cooking options.
Private Cooking Class in a Local’s Home – this class takes you on a private market trip and into a local Georgian home to learn some traditional staples. If the group setting is not your thing, this is the way to go!
One thing that I always enjoy when I’m traveling abroad is taking a local cooking class. I love to learn about the traditional dishes and spices. And, I love to learn how to prepare the meals, so that I can hopefully take some of the techniques home with me!
When I was visiting Tbilisi, Georgia, I signed up for a local cooking class. We would be making the famous khachapuri that you see in every shop and bakery around town, as well as the dumpling-like khinkali. Here’s how it went.
What to Expect in the Tbilisi Cooking Class
I signed up for this exact cooking class in Tbilisi, and I can’t recommend it enough. The instructor was friendly, the steps were presented well, and I found out that I may just be a natural khinkali chef!
A bit about traditional Georgian foods
If you’re looking to learn about traditional Georgian cuisine, there’s no better way than to take a cooking class in Tbilisi. You’ll not only learn how to prepare some of the most popular dishes, but you’ll also get to sample your own dishes paired with famous Georgian wine.
In the class highlighted here, you will be learning to cook two authentic Georgian staples – khachapuri and khinkali.
Khachapuri is a type of bread that is a staple in Georgian cooking. While there are many different variations, there are three main types of khachapuri that you will see around Georgia:
- Adjaruli – a round khachapuri stuffed with a layer of cheese inside.
- Megruli – a round khachapuri with cheese stuffed in the middle as well as on top of the bread.
- Imeruli – a boat-shaped khachapuri with dippable cheese, top with an egg.
You will be preparing the Megruli khachapuri, which was coincidentally my favorite of all three. It is sometimes called “Georgian Pizza” (though it does not contain any tomato sauce.)
Next, you will try your hand at khinkali, a dumpling-like dish that I noticed in both Tbilisi and Yerevan in Armenia.
Khinkali is a traditional Georgian dumpling stuffed with various fillings like cheese or meat. It is hand-woven into a complicated little dough wrapper and then boiled. Make sure you specify in advance if you are vegetarian, like I did!
In this Tbilisi cooking class, you’ll not only learn how to make and fold the khinkali shell, but you’ll also get to experience the traditional way of eating it – by holding the dough and biting into the puffy bottom. It’s a delicious and fun way to experience Georgian culture!
Bonus, if you can’t finish all of the food, you can take it back to your Tbilisi hotel in a container and store it in your fridge. That’s what I did, and had a tasty homemade lunch the next day.
A step by step itinerary.
First, take a taxi or an Uber to the restaurant. Detailed instructions are sent upon booking.
Once you arrive, you will be seated at a long table either solo or with other English speakers. You will be treated to a glass of your chosen Georgian wine and appetizers will start to appear.
Expect to get one of the freshest salads imaginable, with bright green lettuce and red tomatoes. You will also get a cheese platter with several different local cheeses to enjoy. Feel free to munch on these while your instructor brings out the ingredients and spices for your class.
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My own fresh khinkali! My hot-from-the-oven khachapuri.
Preparing and cooking khachapuri and khinkali:
My class started with the khachapuri . This was so that the khachapuri could cook while we made the second dish, which has a much shorter cooking time.
Khachapuri was not too difficult to make. Spread the cheese both inside and on top of the dough. Make sure to keep everything even and round! As soon as it is finished, the dish is sent to the oven to bake.
Next were the khinkali. These were without a doubt my favorite food to prepare! As someone with a visual art background (and lots of ceramics in my past), the weaving of the dough was very familiar to me. Actually, my instructor was extremely surprised at how easily I managed it! We joked that I had a future as a Georgian chef!
Once you finish weaving all of your dough, they go to the kitchen to boil. And, a very short time later, all of your food will come out hot and ready to eat.
Everything was very tasty – probably more so since it was made with my own hands. The khinkali were perfectly cooked and the khachapuri was better than others I’d tried around town!
Your ticket includes one glass of Georgian wine with your food. You are welcome to purchase additional glasses if you wish (and frankly, if you don’t plan to visit Sighnaghi on your trip, then you should absolutely try more wine!)
The verdict?
By the end of my cooking class in Tbilisi, my belly was full, my brain was overflowing with new knowledge, and my instructor had become a new friend.
I highly recommend taking this cooking class in Tbilisi to prepare authentic Georgian dishes. It is an experience that opens up a deeper understanding into the culture, the foods, the wine, and the traditions.
I can’t recommend it enough!
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Ready to book this experience? Reserve your spot now for a Tbilisi cooking class:
Small Group Khinkali and Khachapuri Class – this class takes place inside a small wine-bar. It includes all ingredients, a glass of wine, and fresh salads and local cheese.
Private Cooking Class in a Local’s Home – this class takes you on a private market trip and into a local Georgian home to learn some traditional staples. If the group setting is not your thing, this is the way to go!
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