How to eat khinkali: instructions from the chef of a Georgian restaurant

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Cut with a knife and fork, or eat with the tail? The life hacker found out the answer.

Mamiya Jojua chef of the Georgian cuisine restaurant "Kazbek"

Whatever one may say, khinkali is always eaten by hand, and it doesn't matter if it's a family dinner or a first date. It’s just accepted - the golden rule. There is no other way, alas.

In Georgia, according to the chef, eating khinkali with a knife and fork is bad form.

“Khinkali is a self-sufficient dish, they cannot be eaten hot, as the broth inside can cause burns. They should cool down a bit,”says Mamiya Jojua. However, you cannot completely let them cool down, otherwise the dish will lose its taste. Then the khinkali should be taken by the tail, bite into the dough, drink the broth and eat - with the exception of the tail, which plays only an auxiliary role.

Khinkali should not only be able to cook, but also eat in accordance with Georgian traditions, Mamiya said. Only then will their rich taste be revealed.

The chef advises to treat this calmly, because each national cuisine has its own characteristics and rules of etiquette, which may seem strange for some and ordinary for others. “In general, you need to eat khinkali with your hands. You should not be ashamed of this, it is better, on the contrary, to laugh all together,”says Mamiya.