Cook, Guest House

Jenar and her sister, Nestani, live with their mother, Khava Gurchiani, and have turned their home into a guest house. It’s recently been enlarged: the rooms are simple with great views of the mountains. Be sure to visit the kitchen where Khava (who is the main cook) has her domain. She is a talented baker of the iconic kubdari breads that Svaneti is famous for, and does it all on and in her old black iron wood-burning stove. Watching her for several hours as she made three types of local stuffed breads gave an intimate view into how the women prepare food here. This skilled cook uses the same dough base for each of her versions of the flat, filled breads, and relies on her experienced touch to test their consistency and doneness. There are no oven thermometers here! Beyond the now familiar cheese-filled khachapuri (in one of my favourite versions), I love her spiced-meat kubdari, and the unusual bread filled with chopped and herbed millet.