How Georgia's national dish Khachapuri is made

Who needs pizza? The Georgians have kajapuri. Kajapuri is one of Georgia's national dishes, and people are proud of it. What makes it so special? Kajapuri, samiluchi, saugeteso. It's a traditional Georgian dish, and it's the most popular in Georgia. Every region in Georgia has its own variation on the dish. We'll tell you why later. Today, we'll show you kajapuri Ajarian style. This bakery in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, specializes in kajapuri. Just a few ingredients go into a kajapuri. Flour, yeast, salt, and of course, cheese. And that has to be Georgian. To make the treat Ajarian style, you also need to add an egg and a piece of butter. First, the flour is mixed with some water. And that can take a while. After that, the dough has to rise for 30 minutes. Time to stoke the wood-fired oven. After half an hour, the ball of dough is shaped into a flatbread. It's important to use equal amounts of cheese and dough for the kajapuri. The cheese is made from two different types of Georgian cow's milk. Once it's all put together, the loaf goes into the oven for 15 minutes. While we're waiting, we try to find out about the other types of kajapuri. Researchers have discovered that there are 47 of them. Imereti style is round, flat, and has cheese on top. It really looks like a pizza. Ahma has several layers, like a lasagna. Each one is typical for a region. 15 minutes have gone by, and the kajapuri is almost done. Now the egg and the piece of butter go on top. But how do you eat it? This is how you eat kajapuri. You eat it with a piece of butter, and then you eat it with a piece of cheese. Whether it's for a snack, or as a side to a hearty meat dish, the people in Georgia love their kajapuri, and eat it any time of day, and nearly any place. In the school, in my cafe, and when I want it, I buy it and I eat it. Have you ever tried one of the many variations of kajapuri? If not, it's about time. Enjoy!