Lobio simply means "beans" in Georgian, but the word covers a whole family of dishes. Hot, thick lobio in a clay pot with mchadi cornbread and pickled vegetables is one of the country's most filling and cheapest lunches. Cold lobio with walnuts is served as a starter at feasts, and Racha lobio with smoked ham is considered a delicacy of mountain Georgia. Here's how to make the main versions at home.

Why Georgians love lobio

Beans arrived in Georgia relatively late but quickly became a staple. They're cheap, store well, are filling and suit fasting days, of which the Orthodox calendar has many. In roadside eateries and Tbilisi "sasadilo" canteens, lobio is often among the cheapest dishes on the menu, yet locals and tourists alike order it.

Which beans to choose

Red kidney beans work best — they give a rich colour and velvety texture. Speckled and white beans are also popular in Georgia. The key is fresh, current-season beans: old beans take ages to cook and stay hard.

Recipe 1. Hot lobio in a pot (4 servings)

Ingredients

  • dried red beans — 400 g;
  • onions — 2 large;
  • garlic — 4 cloves;
  • coriander leaves — 1 bunch;
  • parsley or dill — optional;
  • ground coriander seed — 1 tsp;
  • utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) — 1 tsp;
  • khmeli suneli — 1 tsp;
  • chilli — to taste;
  • bay leaves — 1–2;
  • vegetable oil — 3–4 tbsp;
  • salt — to taste.

Method

  1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight (8–12 hours). This shortens cooking and makes them softer.
  2. Drain, cover with fresh water by 3–4 cm and add the bay leaf. Simmer gently for 1–1.5 hours until fully soft. Salt only at the end, or the skins stay tough.
  3. Fry the onions. Finely chop and fry in oil until golden, 8–10 minutes.
  4. Mash the beans. Once soft, mash some of them in the pot — lobio should be thick, half purée, half whole beans.
  5. Add the onions and spices: ground coriander, utskho suneli, khmeli suneli, chilli and crushed garlic. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.
  6. Finally add the chopped coriander and parsley, and season with salt.
  7. Spoon into clay pots (ketsi) if you have them and heat in the oven for 10 minutes — it makes the lobio even more fragrant.

Serving

Hot lobio comes with mchadi (cornbread), pickles (mzhave) — cabbage, cucumbers, green tomatoes, jonjoli — and fresh herbs. The sour pickles balance the rich beans perfectly.

Recipe 2. Racha lobio with ham

This festive version comes from the mountain region of Racha and is made with local smoked pork ham (rachuli lori).

  1. Cook the beans as in the first recipe.
  2. Dice smoked ham or smoked bacon and fry it with the onion.
  3. Add to the beans and season with ground coriander, utskho suneli and garlic.
  4. Simmer 15 minutes so the beans absorb the smoky flavour.

Racha lobio is served in clay dishes with mchadi. If you're in Racha, try it at a guesthouse — it's often paired with the region's semi-sweet wine.

Recipe 3. Cold lobio with walnuts

A feast starter similar to pkhali.

Ingredients

  • cooked red beans — 500 g;
  • walnuts — 150 g;
  • garlic — 3 cloves;
  • coriander leaves — 1 bunch;
  • red onion — 1;
  • ground coriander and utskho suneli — 1/2 tsp each;
  • wine vinegar — 2 tbsp;
  • salt and chilli — to taste;
  • pomegranate seeds — to serve.

Method

  1. Grind the walnuts with the garlic into a paste.
  2. Add the spices, vinegar and chopped coriander.
  3. Mix with the cooked beans, lightly mashing them.
  4. Add thinly sliced red onion.
  5. Chill for 1 hour and serve topped with pomegranate.

Tips for tasty lobio

  • Don't salt the beans at the start.
  • Be generous with onion — it adds sweetness and depth.
  • Utskho suneli and coriander are essential; without them you just have stewed beans.
  • Cook in clay if you can — it holds heat and adds a special flavour.
  • Lobio is better the next day as the spices develop.

Where to try lobio in Georgia

Lobio is on almost every canteen and restaurant menu. It's especially good:

  • at roadside restaurants along the roads of Imereti and Racha, with mchadi and pickles;
  • in Racha, with local smoked ham;
  • in Tbilisi, at inexpensive family canteens and traditional restaurants in the old town.

Look for "lobio ketsshi" on the menu — lobio in a clay pot, the most authentic way it's served.

Which wine

Hot lobio goes with a dry red — saperavi or a light Imeretian red. Racha lobio with ham pairs nicely with local Racha wines. For cold lobio with walnuts, try a white rkatsiteli or tsitska.

In short

Lobio is a hearty, cheap and truly popular Georgian dish. Soak the beans overnight, don't salt until the end, add plenty of fried onion, coriander and utskho suneli, and serve in a clay pot with mchadi and pickles. You'll see why this simple lunch is loved all over Georgia.