Khachapuri: Take a Ride on a Georgian Cheese Boat

Cheese fans are bound to fall in love with Adjaruli Khachapuri. A gooey decadent dish that is one of the national dishes of Georgia, it has grown in popularity in the U.S. recently for good reason. Striking-looking and designed for sharing, it’s become more common both in Georgian restaurants and at restaurants specializing in it from coast to coast.

 

In 2016 Cheeseboat restaurant opened in Brooklyn, followed by a second location in Hell’s Kitchen. In San Francisco, a similar concept Georgian Cheese Boat restaurant opened in 2022. But other Georgian restaurants have this specialty on the menu as well in Portland, Oregon and in and around Chicago, Illinois. Chama Mama has been serving modern Georgian cuisine since opening its doors in Chelsea in 2019. The restaurant has since expanded to the Upper West Side and Brooklyn Heights, offering various authentic dishes, including Adjaruli Khachapuri, the most famous version of the dish, from Adjara, a region of Georgia located on the Black Sea. The boat shape is said to symbolize the region’s connection to the sea, with the egg representing the sun. 

Since the opening of Chama Mama and other Georgian restaurants in the U.S., Adjaruli Khachapuri has experienced a surge in popularity,” says Chama Mama’s Head Chef, Nino Chiokadze. “Part of its appeal comes from the unique presentation and interactive process of mixing and stretching the cheese at the table adding to the level of excitement for the dish.”

Like pizza before it, this cheese bread has seen a spike in interest in the U.S. perhaps, thanks to the country growing more curious about Georgian cuisine as a whole, which features everything from hearty meat dishes to fresh vegetable salads, and sought-after amber wines. Read more about Georgian wines. 

We chatted with Chiokadze, who is originally from Georgia, to learn everything about this traditional cheese bread and how to recreate it at home. 

 

What is Adjaruli Khachapui?

Khachapuri, a beloved staple of Georgian cuisine, is a type of bread traditionally filled with cheese and often complemented by other ingredients depending on the region. Each part of Georgia has its own version, reflecting local customs, flavors, and traditions. Across Georgia, khachapuri is considered a symbol of hospitality. While the most common version of Khachapur is Adjaruli Khachapuri, other cheese-filled Georgian breads include khabizgina, megruli khachapuri, imeruli khachapuri and penovani khachapuri.

“Adjaruli Khachapuri is an open-faced ‘boat-shaped’ masterpiece of dough,” explains Chiokadze. “It is filled with a rich blend of melted cheese, butter, and a perfectly mixed egg.”

The cheese is topped with a raw egg and butter after baking and served hot. To enjoy this dish, the Institute of Culinary Education states you break through the yolk with a fork and then mix the egg with the cheese and butter. Once everything is combined, you’ll rip off pieces of the bread and dip them into the warm cheese mixture. 

 

What Cheeses Are Used to Make It?

Chiokadze explains that in Georgia Adjaruli Khachapuri is usually made with “a mix of stretchy, slightly salty cheeses like sulguni or young imeruli.” However, these particular cheeses are not always easy to come by here in the U.S. 

Chama Mama crafted its own unique cheese blend to “stay true to the dish’s authentic flavors,” explains Chiokadze and those looking to recreate it at home can do the same. While you may not be able to find the exact cheeses used in Georgia, you can opt to use mozzarella and feta or something similar that is stretchy and salty.

 

Adjaruli Khachapuri Recipe

Adjaruli Khachapuri 

Recipe courtesy of Chef Nino Chiokadze, Chama Mama

Dough

2 cups flour (whole wheat flour)

½ cup warm water

¼ tsp salt

5 grams dry yeast

20 grams vegetable oil

3 grams sugar

Cheese 

1 cup of mozzarella or sulguni

½ cup of feta

½ cup white young cheese (i.e. ricotta or mascarpone)

1 egg white

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500°.

Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, mix the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Mix the dry ingredients (flour and salt).  

Once the yeast is activated, add it to the dry ingredients and mix everything together until a soft dough forms. Knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. While the dough rises, prepare the cheese blend.

Break up or shred the mozzarella and feta, and stir into ricotta to combine. 

Take the risen dough and form into a boat-like shape, with a bowl in the center, and place the dough on a lined baking sheet. Add the cheese mixture to the center.

Bake the khachapuri until cheese is melted and bubbling and dough is golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. 

Serve hot, with a raw egg yolk and a pat of butter.