Khachapuri cheese bread making granted cultural heritage status

A traditional cheese-filled bread, khachapuri. Photo: National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation Georgia.

Agenda.ge, 24 Jan 2019 - 15:29, Tbilisi,Georgia

The tradition of making khachapuri, one of Georgian cuisine’s iconic dishes, has received the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia.

A traditional cheese-filled bread produced in various parts of Georgia, khachapuri became the latest addition to the list this week, as the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation inscribed its production on the roster.

The addition came on the back of an initiative by Gunda LTD company and individuals N. Dolidze and L.Kokiashvili, whose proposal was reviewed by the agency before the decision.

The popular dish is made by producers who leaven a piece of bread, allowing it to rise before it is shaped in various ways, usually with cheese in the middle and a crust which is ripped off and used to dip in the cheese. The filling contains cheese, eggs and other ingredients.

Georgia,The Art of Feast for Bocuse d'Or, Sirha 2019. Photo by: Irma Sharikadze.

Khachapuri is one of highlights of the local cuisine that has become recognised worldwide and is a favourite of visitors to the country.

Some of Georgia’s national dishes will be showcased at Sirha 2019, an international hospitality and food service exhibition in Lyon, France later this month.

Previously, the Cultural Heritage Agency included production of ajika, a traditional Megrelian and Abkhazian spicy sauce and dambal khatcho, a meal made out of seasoned curd in the Pshavi highland province - to the cultural heritage list.