Few people leave Georgia empty-handed, and their suitcases are usually full of food and drink. Understandably: you want to recreate Georgian flavours at home and share them with friends. Here are twenty edible souvenirs worth bringing back, with tips on where to buy them and how to get them home.

Drinks

1. Qvevri wine. The essential souvenir. Bring at least one amber wine (Kisi, Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane) and one red Saperavi. Buy at a winery or a specialist wine shop, where staff can advise and often let you taste. A good bottle costs 25–70 lari.

2. Semi-sweet red. Khvanchkara or Kindzmarauli make good gifts for people who don't like dry wine. Check the label shows the correct region — these names are often faked.

3. Chacha. A commercial bottle in nice packaging or an aged golden chacha. Avoid carrying homemade chacha in plastic.

4. Brandy. A 6–10-year-old Georgian brandy is a serious gift for connoisseurs.

5. Lagidze lemonades. Tarragon and pear in glass bottles — nostalgic for some, a new taste for everyone else.

6. Borjomi. A couple of bottles for mineral water fans — light and cheap.

7. Georgian tea. Black or green tea from Guria or Adjara, found in specialist shops in Tbilisi and Batumi.

Spices and sauces

8. Utskho suneli. Blue fenugreek, hard to find outside Georgia and essential for lobio and satsivi.

9. Khmeli suneli. An all-purpose herb blend for almost any dish.

10. Svan salt. Aromatic salt with garlic and herbs from Svaneti — one of the most popular gifts.

11. Tkemali. Sweet-sour cherry plum sauce; green for meat, red for everything else.

12. Adjika. Real Megrelian adjika — a hot paste without tomatoes, for spice lovers.

Sweets

13. Churchkhela. Georgia's most recognisable souvenir. Choose natural colours and lots of nuts; it keeps for months.

14. Green walnut jam. Unusual, fragrant, black jam with whole nuts inside.

15. Feijoa or fig jam. A great choice from Adjara and western Georgia.

16. Gozinaki. Walnuts in honey, perfect as a New Year gift.

17. Mountain honey. From Svaneti, Racha or mountain Adjara — buy from beekeepers.

18. Tklapi. Sweet or sour fruit leather, light and unusual.

Cheese and more

19. Smoked sulguni or Tushetian guda. Hard and smoked cheeses travel best; ask for vacuum packing.

20. Walnuts and dried fruit. Georgian walnuts are fresh and fragrant, and dried persimmon (chiri) is rare outside the Caucasus.

Where to buy

  • Dezerter Bazaar in Tbilisi — the best choice of spices, churchkhela, nuts, dried fruit, cheese and honey at fair prices.
  • Central markets in Kutaisi, Batumi, Telavi and Zugdidi.
  • Wineries — wine and chacha straight from the producer.
  • Specialist wine shops — for wine and brandy with expert advice.
  • Supermarkets — for last-minute packaged gifts.
  • Airport duty free — wine, chacha and brandy without liquid limits in hand luggage.

Getting it home

  • Liquids in glass (wine, chacha, sauces, jam) go in checked baggage, wrapped in clothes or protective bottle bags.
  • Spices — double-bagged so everything doesn't smell of them.
  • Churchkhela — wrapped in paper or cling film.
  • Cheese — vacuum-packed and only if your country allows it.
  • Meat and sausages — banned in many countries; don't risk it.

Customs rules

Rules depend on your destination. As a rough guide:

  • most countries allow 1–2 litres of spirits and several litres of wine per adult duty free;
  • the EU and some other countries ban meat and dairy imports from outside the union;
  • honey, nuts, sweets and spices are usually allowed in small amounts for personal use.

Check your country's customs website before you travel.

Gifts by budget

  • Under 20 lari: a few churchkhelas, a bag of spices, a jar of Svan salt, a bottle of tkemali.
  • 20–60 lari: a good bottle of qvevri wine, green walnut jam, mountain honey, a box of gozinaki.
  • 60 lari and up: aged chacha or 10-year-old brandy in a gift box, a set of wines from one winery, a small clay qvevri souvenir.

In short

The classic set: a bottle of qvevri wine, a bottle of chacha or brandy, churchkhela, utskho suneli, Svan salt and tkemali. Add green walnut jam and mountain honey, and Georgia will live in your kitchen for a long time.