Chronicle of a Georgian Journey, or The Story of One Revelry with Illustrations and Recipes

A traveler, author of hundreds of articles and thousands of columns, lover of good food and drink, collector, photographer, and journalist Gennady Yosefavichus wrote a book that will make you definitely fall in love with Georgia and its cuisine. The author and his friends—artists Totibadze—eat and drink so passionately, so deliciously and so much that you immediately want to join them. First in Moscow. And then, in Georgia itself, where they go on a Big Transcaucasian gastronomic journey. The heroes spend only a week in Georgia, but they manage to eat and drink their way into half a lifetime ahead. Mtskheta, Kakheti, Tbilisi, and the surrounding areas, the estates of Georgian princes with their invariable wine cellars, and the castles of the local bohemia with picture galleries will surely captivate the listener. Georgia’s feasting, thoughtful and kind-hearted, must include barbecued meats of various kinds, drunken trout, khinkali, pkhali, chikhirtma, and exotic local wines. And by the way: do you know that besides white and red wine, there are also golden and pink wines? The traveling party may even climb up to Kazbegi to taste signature khachapuri and kaurma at a restaurant in a nearly otherworldly hotel. And they will also sing odes to roadside taverns—places in Georgia that, it seems, can compete even with restaurants. Because here they serve the best, properly made khinkali with pork and chacha. By the way, recipes for all the most delicious and surprising things (including the famous “hangover” soup with egg) await you at the end of the book. And they’re written so clearly that it’s almost impossible not to cook them. Along the way, while describing feasts and savoring dishes, the author introduces us to Georgian history and culture—from ancient monasteries to modern primitiveist artists. He knows the real business of food, of traveling, and of Russian literature. His flawlessly witty style makes you remember books by Dovlatov, Bittov, and Venedikt Erofeyev (especially since the text is full of allusions and reminiscences, starting with the famous “And immediately drank”). This book will be interesting for those who crave not only high cuisine, but also great Russian literature. It’s easy and even fun to listen to, but it leaves a deep and pleasant aftertaste—just like Georgian cuisine.