Georgia, once called Gruziya, is a country that appears in Greek mythology many times and has gone through numerous adversities in its history, including invasions by neighboring powers.
According to Greek legends, Jason and the Argonauts traveled to Colchis, where modern-day Georgia is located, in search of the Golden Fleece. Colchis was also the land where Prometheus was punished by being chained to a mountain, believed to be Mount Kazbek of Georgia, while an eagle ate at his liver for revealing to humans the secret of fire. It was Batumi, Georgia where St. George, the legendary dragon slayer, had a battle with dragons. The once prosperous Kingdom of Colchis underwent the rule of Greece, Rome, Arab, Byzantium, Persia, Mongolia, Osman Türk, Russia, and the Soviet Union before finally becoming an independent state in 1991.

That is because of the unique flavors of Georgian food. Russian gastronomes say these things about Georgian cuisine: “It is spicy but not too much,” “There’s a great diversity of food,” “Thanks to spices and fresh herbs, Georgian food is appetizing and flavorful,” “It’s hard to imagine not eating marinated cheese, pastry, and roasted meat.” As can be guessed from the evaluations, Georgian food is similar to what we think of as healthy food, and it has rich flavors thanks to the variety of dairy products and spices grown in the mountainous regions.

In Georgia, herbs and crops are cultivated in mountains and valleys while cattle and sheep are put to pasture. People of Georgia mostly combine these two food groups for their meal. The signature dishes are shashlik, khinkali, khachapuri, kharcho, and satsivi, accompanied by freshly-baked pastry, cheese, and wine.
Shashlik, originated from Turkey, is a skewer of grilled cubes of meat that is enjoyed in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as Russia. It is synonymous with shish kebab in Turkey. The name shashlik is used across the Russian-speaking nations. In Muslim regions where pork is banned, shashlik is made with lamb. In Christian countries such as Georgia, Armenia, and Russia, pork is the main ingredient of shashlik.
Khinkali is a Georgian-style dumpling. Because of its size similar to Korea’s king-size dumpling, two to three khinkalis would be a sufficient amount for one meal. There is a recommended way to eat this food. The juice from the meat inside the dumpling gets very hot while being steamed, and you can easily burn your mouth if you rush to eat it. First wait two to three minutes, grab it by the top, or kudi, flip it upside down, poke a small hole on the skin, and sip out the savory juice first. That way, you can enjoy the khinkali as it was meant to be.
Khachapuri is similar to cheese pizza. A freshly-baked khachapuri is often recommended as an appetizer. The popular adjarian khachapuri is made by putting butter and egg yolk in the middle of hot pizza bread, which are then mixed on the spot to eat.

It’s now time to discuss Georgian wine. Viticulture and grape farming are part of daily living in Georgia where a large number of wineries exist. In fact, the world’s first wine is believed to have been from Armenia or Georgia. It means Georgians from early on had the pleasure of having meat and wine together. Some 70-percent of the country’s winemaking takes place in Kakheti. Saperavi is the most popular red wine. Rkatsiteli is the white counterpart. Georgian wine is produced using qvevri, a large clay amphora-like vessel in which wine is fermented and stored. The unique method was listed among UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013 along with Korea’s gimjang culture.
Russia’s national poet Pushkin, who was a wine aficionado, wrote to his friend in 1827 while he was under house arrest that he really wanted to visit Kakheti. His wish was fulfilled in 1829, two years after the letter was sent.
Georgian wine became even more famous because of Soviet leader Stalin.The historic figure was actually born in Georgia. He frequently enjoyed Khvanchkara, a red wine from Racha.
The best Georgian wine is Usakhelauri, which means ‘nameless’ in Georgian. This wine is produced in Tsageri, northwestern Georgia, in a very limited amount using the grape of the same name. The wine has a semi-sweet flavor. Only the top-quality grapes harvested in mid-November when the first frost falls are used. Their sugar levels should be over 24 percent. It was Stalin who tasted Usakhelauri wine for the first time in 1934 in the Kremlin, and since then it has maintained the top rank among Georgian wines.

As the first overseas chain by LOTTE HOTELS & RESORTS and any Korean hotel brand, LOTTE HOTEL MOSCOW was selected as Russia’s Best City Hotel two years in a row by travel magazine 'Conde Nast Traveler.' Located on New Arbat Avenue, the financial and shopping hub of the capital near the Kremlin and the Bolshoi Theatre, the hotel offers 300 rooms and suites in a 10-story building with four underground levels on a 7,117㎡ lot. It presents diverse epicurean options including ‘OVO by Carlo Cracco’ run by the eponymous, two-Michelin-starred Italian chef and ‘MEGUmi,’ a New York-style Japanese fusion restaurant. Award-winning Mandara Spa and Atrium Garden also provide the ultimate service and hotel experience.

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