The short answer: Georgian cooking gets its character from a handful of blends and sauces. Khmeli suneli is the all-purpose dried herb-and-spice mix, built on coriander and blue fenugreek [1]. Svan salt is salt pounded with garlic and spices, from the mountains of Svaneti [2]. Tkemali is a sour plum sauce served with grilled meat and potatoes [3]; bazhe is a walnut sauce [4]; and adjika is a hot pepper paste from the west of the country [5]. All of them are sold at markets across Georgia, and the dry ones travel home easily.
The spice blends
Khmeli suneli
The name means simply "dried spice". Like garam masala, it has no fixed recipe: each family and each market seller mixes their own [1]. Typical ingredients are ground coriander seed, blue fenugreek, summer savory, dill, parsley, basil, bay leaf, mint and marigold, and the colour ranges from pale green to golden brown [1]. It goes into kharcho (the walnut-thickened soup), stews, meat dishes and vegetable dishes such as aubergine and cabbage with walnuts [1]. If you buy one thing, buy this.
Utskho suneli: blue fenugreek
The key flavour in Georgian cooking that most visitors can't name. Blue fenugreek, sold as utskho suneli, literally "foreign spice", is said to be in almost every Georgian dish [6]. It is part of khmeli suneli and Svan salt, and it is also sold on its own, used alone or with the other blends [6]; ask for it by name at the market.
Marigold
Dried, ground marigold petals go into khmeli suneli and walnut sauces, and give them their golden colour [1]. At the market it is sold as a bright orange-yellow powder, sometimes called Imeretian saffron, though it is nothing to do with real saffron.
Svan salt
From Svaneti, the high mountain region in the north-west. Coarse salt is pounded with plenty of garlic and dried herbs and spices, typically coriander, dill, blue fenugreek, red pepper, marigold and cumin [2]. The story goes that salt was scarce in the mountains, so Svans stretched what they brought up from the lowlands with local herbs [2]. Fresh, it is slightly moist and very aromatic. Use it in soups and salads and on potatoes, meat or fish [2]. It has been on Georgia's list of intangible cultural heritage since 2015 [2]. It is sold in small jars and bags all over the country, not only in Svaneti.
The sauces
Tkemali
Georgia's everyday table sauce, made mainly from sour cherry plums with garlic, pennyroyal (ombalo), coriander, dill, chilli and salt [3]. It is tart and herby rather than sweet, and it comes in red and green versions, depending on the plums used [3]. Georgians put it on grilled pork (mtsvadi), fried potatoes and chicken the way others use ketchup [3].
Bazhe and satsivi
Walnuts are the backbone of Georgian cooking, and bazhe is the simplest walnut sauce: ground walnuts with garlic, wine vinegar, water or stock, coriander and fenugreek, sometimes with pomegranate juice [4]. It is served with poultry, vegetables and bread. Poultry cooked and served cold with the sauce becomes satsivi, a festive dish for holidays and celebrations [4]. The same walnut-garlic base goes into pkhali and aubergine rolls; see our guide to vegetarian and vegan food in Georgia.
Adjika
A hot paste of red peppers, garlic, herbs and spices, often with coriander and blue fenugreek and sometimes walnuts [5]. It comes from Abkhazia and Samegrelo in the west; the word comes from the Abkhaz for "salt" [5]. There is also a green adjika made with unripe peppers, and a dry version [5]. Adjika was added to Georgia's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2018 [5]. Use it sparingly at first.
Satsebeli
A thin, spicy tomato sauce with garlic, vinegar, pepper, khmeli suneli and a little adjika, served with grilled meat and khinkali [7].
Where to buy them
- Dezerter Bazaar, Tbilisi: the big market near the central station has stalls piled with spice blends, marigold, blue fenugreek, Svan salt, bottled tkemali and adjika. Sellers are used to visitors and will let you smell before you buy. Bring small notes.
- Regional markets: Telavi in Kakheti, Kutaisi and the towns of Samegrelo sell their own versions, and Mestia is the place for Svan salt from the source.
- Supermarkets: bottled tkemali, adjika and packaged khmeli suneli are sold everywhere, and are sealed for travel.
Bringing them home
- Dry spices and Svan salt travel easily. Ask the seller to double-bag them; Svan salt's garlic is pungent.
- Sauces in jars or bottles count as liquids, so pack them in checked luggage, wrapped in clothes. Factory-sealed bottles travel better than market jars.
- Check your own country's rules. Many countries allow commercially packed spices and sauces but restrict meat, dairy and fresh plants; if in doubt, declare them.
- Churchkhela and walnuts keep for weeks and make easy gifts; see our guide to Georgian bread and sweets.
Cooking with them at home
Start simple: khmeli suneli in a bean stew for lobio; Svan salt on roast potatoes; tkemali with anything grilled. For the dishes these belong to, see what to eat in Georgia: 15 dishes to try.
Tours for this: Georgian flavours with us
Our tours are private. The Georgian cooking class in Tbilisi starts with an hour at the Dezerter Bazaar among the herbs, spices and cheese hall, then you cook khachapuri, khinkali and pkhali or badrijani with a local cook and eat together. The Tbilisi food and wine walk begins with a market tasting of cheese, pickles, spices and churchkhela, then goes on to a bakery, khinkali and a natural-wine bar. Your guide can help you choose and pack spices to take home. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own trip and we send a private itinerary with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Khmeli suneli": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Svan salt": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tkemali": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bazhe": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Adjika": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Utskho suneli": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Satsebeli": en.wikipedia.org
Last checked: September 2026. Import rules for food differ by country; check before you fly.
