Khachapuri

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Khachapuri
Imeretian khachapuri, the most typical style of this dish among its many regional varieties
TypeFlatbread
CoursePastry / filled pastry
Place of originGeorgia
Serving temperaturehot
Main ingredientsCheese, eggs, flour
VariationsClosed (most common) or open
Part of a series on
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Khachapuri[a] (Georgian: ხაჭაპური, romanized: khach'ap'uri; [ˈχatʃʼapʼuɾi] ) is a Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise, molded into various shapes, and then filled in the center with a mixture of cheese, and sometimes eggs or other ingredients.[2]

It is popular in Georgia, both in restaurants and as street food. As a Georgian staple food, the price of making khachapuri is used as a measure of inflation in different Georgian cities by the "khachapuri index", developed by the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University.[3][4]

It is Georgia's national dish, and the item "The Khachapuri Tradition in Georgia" was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Georgia on January 22, 2019.[5][6]

Georgia celebrates "National Khachapuri Day" yearly on February 27.[7]

History

Specialists are divided regarding the chronology of khachapuri. According to Darra Goldstein, who wrote the book The Georgian Feast about the dish, khachapuri probably dates back to the 12th century when Georgia experienced a period of renaissance, but its specific root remains unclear.[1] Dali Tsatava, former professor at the Georgian Culinary Academy, suggested that khachapuri could be a "cousin of the pizza" as the concept of the dish might have been brought by Roman soldiers who crossed Europe, well before the addition of tomatoes in the 16th century.[8]

Types

Adjarian khachapuri with cheese, butter and egg yolk

There are several distinctive types of khachapuri from different regions of Georgia:[9]

  • Imeretian (Imeruli) khachapuri is the most popular form, made with a yeast dough filled with white Imeretian salted cheese.[10]
  • Adjarian (Acharuli/Adjaruli), originating from Adjara, a region of Georgia on the Black Sea, is a boat-shaped khachapuri, with cheese, butter, and an egg yolk in the middle. Traditionally, tangy imeruli and sulguni cheeses are used. It is said to be a representation of a boat, the sea, and the sun.[1]
  • Megrelian khachapuri (Megruli) is similar to Imeretian, but has more cheese added on top.
  • Achma, from Abkhazia, has multiple layers and resembles a sauceless lasagna.
  • Gurian (Guruli) khachapuri has chopped boiled eggs inside and looks like a crescent-shaped calzone. In Guria, it is called "Christmas pie", as Gurians usually make and serve them during Christmastime. In the rest of Georgia, it is called "Gurian pie."
  • Ossetian khachapuri/pie may have various fillings such as potato and cheese as its filling.
  • Svanuri lemzira
  • Rachuli khachapuri
  • Samtskhe–Javakhetian penovani khachapuri is made with cheese-filled puff pastry dough, resulting in a flaky variety of the pie.

Outside Georgia

A Georgian restaurant, Hachapuri, in Budapest, Hungary

Khachapuri is popular in the post-Soviet states, including Russia.[11][12] It was reported that 175,000 khachapuris were consumed during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[13] Khachapuri is a popular street food in Armenia, where it is widely served in restaurants and school cafeterias.[14] It has become increasingly popular as a brunch food in Israel, where it was brought over by Georgian Jews[15] and is spreading to other parts of the world, like the United States.[16]

See also

Notes

  1. Alternative spelling of the dish may also be Hachapuri. The name derives from ხაჭო khachʼo [ˈχat͡ʃʼo] 'curd' + პური pʼuri [ˈpʼuri] 'bread'.[1]

References

  1. "Georgian cheese boat Adjaruli Khachapuri - New York Essential Dish". Georgian Journal. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  2. Goldstein, Darra (1999). The Georgian feast: the vibrant culture and savory food of the Republic of Georgia. University of California Press. pp. 136–139. ISBN 0-520-21929-5.
  3. Svensson, Therese (April–May 2010). "Tracking monetary policy one big mac – and one khachapuri – at a time". Investor.ge. American Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  4. "Khachapuri Index Project". International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  5. Jones, A. Khachapuri Granted Cultural Heritage Status Archived 2019-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Georgia Today, 2019
  6. Jones, Amy (24 January 2019). "Khachapuri Granted Cultural Heritage Status". Georgia Today. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019.
  7. National Khachapuri Day Georgian Journal
  8. Eva (5 April 2019). "Khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread". Bake-Street. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  9. "Complete guide to Khachapuri 11 varieties you didn't know". 6 October 2025.
  10. "About Food – Imeruli (Imeretian Khachapuri)". 27 July 2012.
  11. Mosolova, Tanya (15 April 1998). "What Is It? : Georgian Cheese Pies Come in Many Varieties". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2014. One of the indispensable dishes of a celebratory meal in Georgia, khachapuri, has become very popular in Russia as well.
  12. Bryant, Jordan (2 March 2013). "Хачапури: The Big Cheese!". sras.org. Woodside, CA: School of Russian and Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014.
  13. В Сочи гости Олимпиады съели 175 тысяч хачапури и 34 тонны шашлыка [In Sochi, Olympic guests ate 175 thousand khachapuris and 34 tons of shashlik.]. Argumenty i Fakty (in Russian). 24 February 2014.
  14. Grigoryan, Hasmik (7 August 2011). Ի՞նչ է մատուցվում այսօր դպրոցների բուֆետներում [What is being served today in school cafeterias?]. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Armenian Service. "...վաճառվում են հիմնականում բուլկեղեն, խաչապուրի, կարկանդակ, հոթ դոգ ու նույնիսկ մաստակ ու չիպսեր:" [...mainly buns, khachapuri, pirozhki, hot dogs and even chewing gum and chips are sold.]
  15. Norris, Anna (3 July 2014). "10 mouthwatering dishes of Israel you should really try". From The Grapevine. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  16. SF’s Only Georgian Restaurant Is a Love Letter Written on Cheesy Bread, San Francisco Standard, Jan. 19, 2023