Exclusive: Meet Chef Guram Baghdoshvili Who Is Bringing Georgian Cuisine To The Global Food Map

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Georgia is a small country nestled between Europe and Asia, famous for its vineyards and a culture that has a confluence of European and Asian influences. Over the years the number of tourists to this heritage country has been on the rise given the range of experiences the country has to offer.

More importantly 'Georgian cuisine' is now being popularized worldwide, given the diversity it offers to vegetarians, vegans, and meat lovers alike. A name synonymous with taking Georgian food out to the world is that of Chef Guram Baghdoshvili. He is an award-winning Celebrity chef and is considered the prodigal son of Georgia by every top food critic and chef in the world.

Chef Gurum was recently at Leela Palace, Bengaluru to showcase 'Georgian food' in a Special dinner service consisting of 10 courses, each meticulously crafted by the Chef himself. This dinner pop-up hosted at Le Cirqué, Leela Palace last month, in June, was in collaboration with Conosh. The dinners were pre-booked by connoisseurs from the city and much appreciated by all.

In an exclusive interview with Boldsky, Chef Guram Baghdoshviligave us insights into the passion behind his food and bringing Georgian food to the global food map.

Decision To Become A Chef

Chef Guram said "Food is something that I grew up with. It was all around me. My family and my surroundings were all about community and food was an integral part of that. It was a natural progression for me, and I've spent more than three decades of my life cooking food from the heart."

What Makes Georgian Cuisine Unique?

Chef Guram says "The Georgian cuisine is one of the most influential cuisines in the world because Georgia is a small world between two big worlds, the Europe and Asia. For the past years my homeland has been abundant in food as well as resources due to it's geography. Also, being at the centre of such rich trading circuits, the cuisine evolved and imbibed a lot of Middle eastern, Asian as well as European influences.

Georgians have long treasured 'hospitality' as their core value. Everything revolves around hospitality and so does the food.
Georgia is a young country and in the past 30 years we have started showcasing our food to the world and we're getting noticed." The Chef also talked about the concept of 'Supra' which essentially means sharing a table with others from a community and feasting together. The sharing and hospitability are at the heart of traditional Georgian cuisine.

Maiden Trip To India and Cooking here

Chef Guram's love for India is immense. On being asked if this was his first trip he said, "Yes, it's my first trip to this beautiful country that I've been familiar with since childhood. My early childhood was spent watching Bollywood movies and I've absorbed so much of Indian culture in me since then. I'm happy to be here finally and love the warmth of the people here. It feels like home. I'm also excited to showcase my Georgian food at the prestigious Leela Palace Hotel. I'm in awe of this magnificent hotel and the various kitchens here. People are so warm and the city of Bengaluru is so much greener than I had expected it to be".

We asked the Chef about his familiarity with Indian cuisine and if he has a favorite dish and he surprised us with his answer. He said "I love Indian food and there is so much variety that it's so difficult to choose the most favorite dish. However, my top 3 dishes are Mutton Biryani, Naan, and Butter chicken. I just love the flavors. I love eating biryani served the traditional way on a banana leaf and relished with my hands. I love how Indians eat with their hands. It's the best way."

Indian Cuisine Vs Georgian Cuisine

We were curious to know how similar or different the Indian and Georgian food are, given that there are so many Asian influences in Georgian food as historically this was a city on the Silk Route. Chef Guram says, "I see a lot of similarity, but the difference lies in techniques. How we cook is completely different though we use the same products. I went to the market today and loved the green mangoes and the pumpkins that I decided to use in my Georgian dishes that I'm serving here today and tomorrow. I've used it in a way that compliments my dish which would be very different from how the Indians use it."

Georgian Food On The World Map

The concept of Global Village has now become a reality, given the internet and international travel. With people's desire to experiment more and taste worldwide food, it is interesting to see how every cuisine is adapting itself to the needs of the changing global landscape. We asked the Chef about it and his response was interesting.

He said, "Let's take an example. For Europeans, veganism and vegetarianism vary a lot. In Georgia we fast for almost half a year, so we mostly consume vegetarian food. There is a lot of cheese, walnuts, and vegetables like aubergines that are popular. Now when I'm in India I'm adapting vegetarianism in the Indian way. So while I have done away with beef and pork (which are not the popular choices for nonvegetarians here) I have switched to local ingredients and produce. The dishes are Georgian after all, but the touch is Indian. I sincerely hope that people will love my food and will feel the hospitality that Georgian food brings all over."

It is easy to understand why Chef Guram is a global icon for Georgian food and culture. The core of his food is his patriotism. Georgia is known to the world as an extremely hospitable country and it shows in how Chef Guram describes his food. We loved to get a flavour of his food in the city and we wish him all the best for his future endeavors. We also hope to see Georgian cuisine gaining popularity in India in the near future.

Dubbed as the "Gordon Ramsay" of Georgia, Guram has appeared in various cooking shows on television like Kitchen Wars and My Kitchen Rules. Being a polyglot who can speak over 7 languages, his appearance on the CBS Mornings show skyrocketed the awareness of Georgian cuisine.