Georgian

Eight thousand years of winemaking in buried qvevri sit under everything. Trade routes between Persia, Byzantium, the Arab world and Russia all left marks: pomegranate and saffron habits from Persia, Ottoman touches in the west, and a Russian imperial appetite that made Georgian restaurants the best in Moscow. Soviet rule spread khachapuri and khinkali across fifteen republics. Since independence a tourism boom has sent them further.

Herbs by the fistful, raw at the end: coriander, purple basil, parsley, tarragon, dill. Ground walnuts thicken and enrich where other cuisines use cream. Blue fenugreek, marigold, ground coriander and chilli form the spice base, often as the khmeli suneli blend. Sourness comes from tkemali plum, pomegranate, vinegar and unripe grape. Bread and cheese are central; meat is roasted or braised simply. Many dishes are naturally vegan because of long Orthodox fasts.