Culinary discoveries

ISTANBUL

On these hot summer days, many people head to the mountains, to the highlands and to the north. Our neighbor, Georgia, is a very tempting destination in this regard. As a visa is not required for Turkish citizens, it becomes the perfect choice to escape to a cooler country that is so close — almost as if you were heading to the Black Sea highlands. What’s more, our culinary cultures are very similar — almost like close relatives. But this similarity can suddenly give way to stark differences; a dish that looks completely familiar may have an unusually different flavor. The reason I remembered Georgian flavors is a recent dinner that featured seven chefs, one of whom was a friend from Georgia, Tekuna Gachechiladze from Tbilisi.

During the summer months, it seems that all chefs go on a global tour. Similar to the buzz of summer concerts, there is now a similar buzz in the world of gastronomy. Famous Michelin-starred chefs take over the kitchens in summer resorts, sometimes within the country and at other times in distant lands, showcasing their skills and sharing their experiences with colleagues from distant countries. Guests, meanwhile, enjoy this diversity, tasting dishes from diverse chefs all at once. It is like taking a culinary vacation to distant lands, savoring the flavors of famed chefs in one go. But I think the best part of these multi-chef dinners is the interaction among the chefs, developing friendships, building a team spirit in the kitchen and learning from each other. For us, it is a journey of endless culinary discoveries.

Signature dining experience

Such a crowded gathering of chefs recently took place at Club Marvy in Özdere, south of Izmir, for the Gault&Millau “Signature Dining Experience” series. Held on two consecutive nights, the event brought together seven chefs — both local and international. On the first evening, Cristina Bowerman and Floriano Pellegrino from Italy, Sinem Özler from Seraf in Istanbul, and French chef Grégoire Berger joined forces; on the second evening, Ahmet Güzelyağdöken from Izmir, Tekuna Gachechiladze from Georgia, and Çiğdem Seferoğlu from Hodan in Istanbul took to the kitchen together to deliver a wonderful gastronomic experience. The real highlight, however, was the guest chefs’ exploration of the nearby Selçuk market, their participation in the Özdere fish auction, and their opportunity to learn about seasonal produce sourced from local producers — all under the guidance of Ahmet Güzelyağdöken.

When seven chefs come together for a culinary experience, it’s difficult to highlight each one individually. This time, the chefs’ common thread was the harmonious flavors they created using ingredients sourced from the market. The kinship among Anatolian, Aegean and Mediterranean cuisines naturally involves inevitable similarities. However, this time I’d like to talk about the similarities between Turkish and Georgian cuisines. Tekuna Gachechiladze, founder and chef of the famous Tbilisi restaurant Cafe Littera, is also known as Georgia’s most prominent female chef. Years ago, I had the chance to travel across Georgia from end to end for a week, exploring the country and, of course, meeting with her several times, even spending a magical night at her summer house. Tekuna, who frequently visits Türkiye, stressed the similarities between the cuisines of the two countries, highlighting our shared love for eggplant and walnuts in particular, always with a touch of garlic.

Similarities and differences

Another shared element between the two neighboring culinary cultures is a fondness for dough. Especially when it comes to dough-based dishes, the similarities and differences become surprisingly distinct. Cooking techniques and ingredients are similar — sometimes you even come across the exact same dish names, although this last point can be quite confusing. Some Georgian dish names are occasionally in Turkish. But if you ask for “açma/achma” you get “su böreği.” Same name, different dish. Yet again, that very same dish exists in Türkiye under a different name. It can be fun to explore these similarities and differences.

Our pides are like twin siblings to Black Sea-style pides, but they call the cheese-filled pide “khachapuri.” Especially if an egg is cracked into the center — the famous Adjarian version— it’s almost as if you’re in the Black Sea region. Another Georgian signature dish is dumplings. Khinkali is a Georgian dumpling with a pouch-like shape that is pinched at the top to seal. You hold it by the pinched top to eat it — and then discard the dough top. There is no close similarity to the Turkish dumpling “mantı,” though both are basically boiled dough dumplings filled with minced meat. When it comes to filling things with meat, Georgia also has a tradition of “dolma” and “sarma,” which are stuffed or rolled dishes. Although the taste is slightly different, the cooking technique is the same. The similarities are best seen in the vineyards, but not necessarily in wine. Our threaded walnut-grape jelly sausage-shaped “sucuk” and fruit leather “pestil” are also national delicacies in Georgia, named “churchkhela” and “tklapi,” respectively.

However, despite all the similarities, there is one sharp distinction — and that’s where the line is abruptly drawn. One is the use of fresh cilantro. Fresh cilantro — which Georgians call “kinzi” — is completely absent from the Turkish palate. There’s also a spice blend called “khmeli suneli” that completely transforms the flavor of a dish. It might be a spice blend that’s hard for those unaccustomed to it to get used to, but it gives dishes a completely different identity. It has a flavor somewhat like pastrami seasoning. In other words, once you learn to love it, you love it. But I think the true commonality between the cuisines of these two sister nations lies in the joy of the table. For the Georgians, “supra” is an essential part of their culture, acting as a setting for conversation. Like our word “sofra,” it’s borrowed from Persian; it actually refers to the cloth on which the food is placed. That piece of cloth unites the two countries’ shared value of hospitality, which has given rise to the culture developed around “sofra” and “supra”!