If you are planning a trip to Georgia in September, this guide will help you with gastronomic ideas.

We have chosen three tourist destinations - in Adjara September is sunny and warm, there are fewer tourists at this time than in summer, and it is the perfect time to plan a weekend away. In Svaneti autumn starts early, the trees are in a thousand colors and if you are lucky with the sunny weather you will have an unforgettable experience. September is the best time to visit Kakheti because this is when the harvest begins.

 

Adjara

It's unthinkable to go on a seaside holiday without tasting  Adjarian khachapuri, and to leave Batumi without visiting  Batumi Fish Market and tasting the local Black Sea fish is a crime. A typical Adjarian dessert is baklava, which you must try with local coffee on the beach.

If you visit the mountainous regions of Adjara, be sure to try borano, a characteristic dish of Adjarian cuisine - local cheese melted in drawn  butter. It's quite high in calories, but very tasty.

Sinori is made of thin unleavened bread sheets, sliced lavash is  laid on ketsi and baked with nadugi and butter, it's a nutritious and delicious dish.

Don't forget to try the achma, a type of khachapuri, which is made from layers of cooked dough, melted butter and cheese. It is baked in the oven until golden in colour.

 

Svaneti

Swani cuisine is rich in meat dishes. When travelling here, be sure to try kubdari, a meat-stuffed  pie with local spices that give it a unique flavour.

Tashmijabi - a dish of fresh cheese and potatoes, which is nutritious and delicious. Tishvdari is another vegetarian dish of Svan dishes, a "relative" of Mingrelian chvishtari.

When returning back home, be sure to take home some Svanetian salt which is rich in spices and can be added to all dishes. Keep it in a cool, airtight place and it will retain its flavour for a long time.

 

Kakheti

Come to Kakheti during the rtveli (vintage season) and take part in one of the oldest and most important Georgian traditions. A sunny day is chosen for the rtveli and this  day turns into a real celebration. The vintage  is followed by a traditional feast, where you will be treated to shashlik, deda-puri (a kind of traditional bread), cheese and salad.

The cooking of tatara and the making of churčkhela also begins in September, it takes weeks to dry, but no one can resist the temptation of trying freshly made churčkhela.

Kakhetian khinkali, unlike mountain khinkali, is flavored with cumin and garlic. Khinkali with curd is a must-try dish for vegetarians. They are traditionally served  with melted drawn  butter and eaten as such, though they are tasty and nutritious even without butter.