There are dishes that define a place, and in Georgia, Khachapuri is one of them. Not one dish, actuall: there are as many versions of Khachapuri as there are regions in Georgia; from the round, cheese-stuffed Imeruli to the spiral Achma. But the one that stops people in their tracks is the Adjarian version: a boat of freshly baked dough, filled with molten suluguni cheese, a raw egg cracked directly onto the surface, and a generous knob of butter melting into everything at the table. You stir it together, tear off a piece of crust, and drag it through the centre. It is, objectively, one of the best things you can eat anywhere.
Our to-go restaurants in Mestia, the remote mountain town in Svaneti that serves as the base for both our Ski Touring Expedition and our Freeride Advanture, have two very different settings.
The first was at the Mountain Cafe Bar at the base of Tetnuldi, the kind of place that exists purely because skiers need fuel. Basic, warm, and always busy after a morning on the mountain. The Khachapuri arrives fast, looks a little rough around the edges, and disappears in minutes. Nobody cares about presentation when the powder is still calling.
The second was at Panorama, in the centre of Mestia, after the lifts had closed and the day had slowed down. Better atmosphere, better-looking Khachapuri, equally good. Wood panels, Caucasus views through the window, and that particular satisfaction of eating something this rich after burning everything on the slopes.
Both versions taught us the same thing: Khachapuri tastes best at altitude, when you've earned it.
It tastes like it was invented by someone who had just spent a day in the mountains.
Recipe informations
20 minutes (plus 1 hour proving)
15–18 minutes
2 (one khachapuri per person)
Bread / Street Food
Georgia (Adjara region)
Ingredients
- 300 grams strong white bread flour
- 1 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 180 milliliters warm water
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 300 grams suluguni cheese, grated (or 2/3 mozzarella + 1/3 feta)
- 3 eggs (1 per khachapuri + 1 for egg wash)
- 30 grams unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yoghurt (optional, for richer filling)
Instruction
- Make the dough: Mix 300 grams strong white bread flour, 1 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoons sugar in a large bowl. Add 180 milliliters warm water and 1 tablespoons olive oil and mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 1 hour, until roughly doubled in size.
- Prepare the cheese filling: Grate or crumble 300 grams suluguni cheese, grated (or 2/3 mozzarella + 1/3 feta). If using the mozzarella and feta combination, mix well. Add 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yoghurt (optional, for richer filling) if using: it makes the filling richer and slightly creamier. Set aside.
- Shape the boats: Preheat your oven to 240°C (220°C fan). Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into an oval roughly 30 x 20 cm. Fold the long edges inward about 3–4 cm and pinch the ends together firmly to form a boat shape. The centre should be open and deep enough to hold the filling.
- Fill and bake: Divide the cheese filling evenly between the two boats, mounding it slightly in the centre. Beat one of the 3 eggs (1 per khachapuri + 1 for egg wash) lightly and brush the exposed dough edges with egg wash. Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake for 12–13 minutes , until the edges are golden and the cheese is fully melted and starting to bubble.
- Add the egg and butter: Remove from the oven. Make a small well in the centre of the cheese and crack one raw egg directly into each boat. Return to the oven for 2 minutes: you want the white just set and the yolk still runny. Remove immediately, add a knob of 30 grams unsalted butter to each boat, and serve at once.
- Serve: Bring to the table still hot. Stir the egg, butter, and cheese together with a fork until combined into a rich, glossy filling. Tear off pieces of the crust and drag them through the centre. Eat immediately: Khachapuri waits for no one.
Where you can eat Khachapuri
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find suluguni outside Georgia?
Eastern European grocery stores are your best bet: look for Russian, Ukrainian or Georgian food shops in larger cities. Middle Eastern grocery stores sometimes carry it too. Online, it's increasingly available through specialist cheese retailers. If you genuinely can't find it, the mozzarella and feta combination in the recipe notes gets you surprisingly close.
Why is this dish called Adjarian if we eat it in Svaneti?
Khachapuri Adjaruli originates from the Adjara region on Georgia's Black Sea coast, but it has spread across the entire country and is now eaten everywhere: from Tbilisi restaurants to mountain guesthouses in Svaneti. In Mestia you'll find it on almost every menu. Each region also has its own local version: Svaneti is more known for Kubdari, a flatbread filled with spiced meat, but the Adjarian boat-shaped version has become a national staple that belongs to all of Georgia.
How does this connect to the Georgia expedition?
The Svaneti ski touring and the freeride trips are both based in Mestia, in the Svaneti region. After long days ski touring at altitude, accessing remote ridges, riding deep powder through the Caucasus, Khachapuri is the meal that makes complete sense. It's caloric, comforting, and deeply local. This recipe is as close as you'll get to what's served in the mountain restaurants around Mestia without actually being there.
More Winter Trips