Cheeses of Imereti
Western Georgia's farming heartland, home of imeruli cheese and of the round Imeretian khachapuri.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: May to October, with grape harvest in September.
Imereti is a region of western Georgia around the old city of Kutaisi, a land of small farms, vineyards and family cows. It gives its name to imeruli, the fresh, salty curd cheese that fills most khachapuri in Georgia, and to the round Imeretian khachapuri itself. Imeruli curd is also the starting point for sulguni, made by stretching it in hot water.
Imeruli
Imeruli is made from cow's milk set with rennet, the curd lightly pressed and salted, then eaten within days. It is white, moist and slightly sour, and crumbles into khachapuri filling with egg and butter. When the curd is left a little longer and then kneaded in hot water, it becomes the elastic sulguni. Most farming families in Imereti make cheese for themselves.
Kutaisi and the countryside
Kutaisi was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Colchis and later of medieval Georgia. Its Green Bazaar is a covered market full of cheese, churchkhela and fresh herbs. Around the city are Gelati monastery, Bagrati cathedral and the caves and canyons of Imereti. The region's wines are made in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground.
A trail idea for Imereti
- Kutaisi Green Bazaar Taste imeruli and sulguni straight from the farm sellers.
- Bagrati Cathedral The eleventh-century cathedral above Kutaisi.
- Gelati Monastery A medieval monastery and academy outside the city.
- A village supra Eat Imeretian khachapuri and fresh cheese at a family table.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Imereti" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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