Gastronomy – Georgia

Last stop on this year’s fascinating cultural journey, and we dedicate this post to Georgia, host country of the BSEC Chairmanship-in-Office for the first semester 2026.

So, let’s try a popular Georgian soup and pair it with one of the country's most famous wines!

Kharcho (Harcho, Kharsho, ხარჩო) is a nutritious soup featuring beef or chicken, walnuts, and rice.

The dish is traditionally seasoned with Khmeli Suneli (ხმელი სუნელი) and Tkemali (Tkhemali, Tqemali, ტყემალი).

• Khmeli Suneli is a fragrant Georgian spice blend containing fenugreek, coriander, peppercorns, dill, mint, marigold petals and bay leaves. It is characterised by its combination of warm, bitter, nutty and grassy flavours.
• Tkemali is a flavourful Georgian sauce made from wild sour plums, sugar, garlic, hot red or green peppers, and herbs such as coriander, parsley, basil and dill. There are two main types of tkemali: green or red, depending on the type of hot pepper used in its preparation.

Kharcho is such a popular dish that almost every family has its own version of the recipe.

Serving Suggestion!

Serve the kharcho hot, garnished with freshly chopped coriander. On the side, you can add Ghomi (ღომი), a porridge made from coarse and fine cornflour combined with water.

Food and Wine Pairing Tip!

For the best taste of this dish, you can combine kharcho with Saperavi (საფერავი), a strong red Georgian grape that comes from the Kakheti region. Although it is still predominant in Georgia, small quantities are also cultivated in other Eastern European countries, as well as in Australia and the United States.

This teinturier variety has dark skin and flesh, and produces full-bodied wines with a dark garnet colour, characterised by aromas of ripe red berries and pleasant acidity. Most wines produced from Saperavi grapes are varietal and have a great tendency to age well.

Saperavi wines are highly versatile and can be paired with a variety of dishes, including delicate fish dishes, stews and grilled meat.

Bonus Trivia!

Saperavi is ranked 10^th in the “Top 100 Beverages in the World” list on TasteAtlas (last update: 12 November 2025).

Enjoy!

Sources: https://www.tasteatlas.com/kharcho, https://www.tasteatlas.com/khmeli-suneli, https://www.tasteatlas.com/tkemali, https://www.tasteatlas.com/ghomi, https://www.tasteatlas.com/saperavi, https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-beverages-in-the-world

Photograph taken from: https://www.tasteatlas.com/kharcho

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