Have you ever heard of a feast so honoured and loved by folks that it is included in the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the country? Any guesses?
Buckle up everyone! We are heading to a beautiful country - Sakartvelo, mostly known as Georgia.
Not only does Georgia have breathtaking views and hospitable people but it’s also full of the most delicious dishes you could ever taste. It’s not surprising that with such an excellent cuisine, there are even traditions of feasting. So “Supra” is a traditional feast and an important part of Georgian social culture. Basically, there are two types of Supra: “Keipi” is a festivity banquet on the occasion of a wedding, birthday or another fun gathering, “Kelekhi” - a sombre meal before, during or after a funeral.
Any type of Supra is always led by a Tamada, the toastmaster who introduces each toast and then speaks about the topic. After the tamada has spoken, the toast continues, the guest who wishes to speak raises their glass, gives a toast and then drains their glass. Supra table is a foodie’s dream, a tablecloth covered in literal enormous amount of Georgia’s unique local cuisine dishes - it’s almost impossible not to overeat! No need to worry, this experience even has a proper untranslatable name - "Shemomechama". This adorable word is used to describe a situation when you are full and didn’t intend to eat so much but you accidentally did, due to this food was SO good you had zero chance to stop.
Folk songs and dances are another important component of every Supra. Georgian polyphonic singing has been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists since 2008, can you imagine how great it is?
Obviously, it’s impossible to fully understand the beauty of Georgian feasting culture without trying it yourself. So what do you think, would you like to attend Supra? And what’s your favourite food-related tradition in your country?
– di