75. Georgia: Kharcho
I am soo sorry, I have been incredibly busy with work in the restaurant, my social life, school! Really it’s been crazy these past few months, but I promise i’m going to try to work more on this project folks.
Is Georgia part of Europe or Asia. Honestly no one knows, so strange. We all know it’s close to Russia and that it used be part of the communist Sovjet Union. But what do we really know about Georgia. (for the people who haven’t realized I’m talking about Georgia the Country not the state.) There is actually quite a lot of debate over exactly what continent Georgia is on, and exactly where Europe is located.
Most people have think that there is a geographic place where Europe ends and Asia begins, but where exactly that is is open to debate.The general consensus seems to be that the divider between Europe and Asia is the Urals–but they don’t reach far enough South to be helpful with determining Georgia’s location. Geographically, the Caucasus mountains are the Southern border of Europe–in fact, the highest point in Europe is Mt. Elbrus which is right next to Georgia.
This division very helpfully puts PART of Georgia in Europe. Georgia is not a very big country, so dividing it between two continents seems very silly! As you can see I really made a study of it and tried to find a correct answer, but there is none! So WHERE does Europe END and where begins Asia???? Of there is anyone who knows this please let me know in the comments because I am very confused!
Things you didn’t know about Georgia:
- Abkhazia. This former province declared itself independent after a bloody war. Since the war the are trying to re-establish the country’s former reputation of being a holiday destination. The rest of the world still considers Abkhazia as part of Georgia not as an independent state.
- Russian dictator Josef Stalin was born in the tiny village of Gori in Georgia. He is still considered a hero in Gori. There is a Stalin museum and on their website it says. Stalin the greatest politician of the 20th century.
- Security guards in clubs have guns. So please don’t pick a fight with them
- Spoken Georgian is like no other language you are likely to hear. It belongs to its own ancient linguistic group unlike any other language spoken outside the region. It includes rare sounds that many visitors may never have heard before. Georgian has its own 33-letter alphabet thought to be based on the sort of Aramaic spoken in the time of Jesus.
- A guest is a gift from God, goes the saying in Georgia. So foreign visitors are plied with food and drink – an enjoyable experience, if not always good for the waistline.
You could say this Georgian delicacy is the Balkan version of a risotto. It’s a little more rustic, and the spices are completely different but the rice is cooked the same way.
This recipe serves 6-8 people
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄2lbs boneless lean beef
- 8 cups beef stock
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1⁄4cup rice
- 1⁄2teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1⁄4teaspoon dried mint
- 1 1⁄2teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1⁄2teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 1⁄2teaspoon ground coriander
- 1⁄4teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- diluted in hot stock (can substitute 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice)
- 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1⁄4cup walnut pieces crushed
- salt, 1⁄4cup chopped fresh herb (any mixture of tarragon, cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, or dill)
March 8, 2016 at 19:37
Hi Margot, happy that you are back! Thanks again for the recipe! Kiss Sophie