Hello Georgia. I’m sick, but I feel better when I see your food. Three cheers to that!

NOTE: The first three recipes are adapted from Laura Kelley‘s book The Silk Road Gourmet: Volume One: Western and Southern Asia. Her book is full of great history and an entire chapter of Georgian recipes for any who are interested.

Georgian Grilled Chicken [Recipe]
Bone-in chicken marinated in a combination of khemeli-suneli, peanut oil, and lemon juice. The secret? Extra long marination to make the flavors scream. I’m a fan of screaming food (so says the girl who likes a little salad with her vinegar).

Georgian 5 spice (Khmeli-Suneli) [Recipe]
There are as many variations of this spice blend as there are grandma’s in Georgia. Our version is made with coriander, savory, dill, fenugreek, and bay leaves. Our bonus spice is pepper.

Walnut Cilantro Sauce (Garo) [Recipe]
This slightly bitter, grassy sauce is a popular condiment, like ketchup in America. Not only is it served over meats and vegetables, it can also be spread on a slice of toast and eaten as-is.

Natural Grape and Walnut Candy (Churchkhela from the Caucasus) [Recipe]
This treat is a great one to make with kids over a vacation. About once a day, dip a string of walnuts into pureed, reduced grape syrup. Then place in front of a fan to dry. As the layers add up, the walnuts gradually disappear. Later, break the string apart and much away!