Offering Yeni Rakı to your guests is an opportunity to introduce them not only to the pleasure of the drink, but also to a new experience of established rituals, presentation and gastronomy. Easily spawning its own gastronomy within different cuisines, rakı is the ideal accompaniment to an enjoyable meal, sharing, conversation and entertainment. The dishes in this guide have been selected as suggestions in order to inspire you to explore rakı gastronomy even further. Together with the mezes that you will prepare thanks to the experience and creativity of your chefs and suggestions from your service team, Yeni Rakı can also assist you in creating new experiences

1. 05
Funda İnansal
rakı harmony in global cuisine
Georgia

3. OfferingYeniRakıtoyourguestsisanopportunitytointroducethem
not only to the pleasure of the drink, but also to a new experience of
established rituals, presentation and gastronomy. Easily spawning
its own gastronomy within different cuisines, rakı is the ideal
accompaniment to an enjoyable meal, sharing, conversation and
entertainment.
The main reason why mezes, the basis for rakı gastronomy, adapt so readily to all cuisines, is that they
are snack foods and starters served in small portions, and consumed with different rituals. These small
portioned dishes accompanying spirits have different names in different countries depending on their
lifestyle and food rituals, such as ‘tapas’ in Spain, but all these names correspond to the concept of ‘meze’.
Themanydifferentflavoursinsnackfoodsor“appetisers,”coldstartersandhotstarterscaneachbecome
a perfect meze when served in small portions. Rakı will inspire you based on the basic harmony principles
detailed in the guide. Regardless of how the rakı will be drunk – as an aperitif or an accompaniment to a
long and enjoyable dinner – the pleasant times will start with the one and only constant: mezes.
Keep in mind that the technical aspects are not the only criteria in rakı-food harmony; the culinary
customs and rituals of different countries encourage you to discover the best harmony. In thıs guide,
which provides basic rules for the pairing of foods with rakı, you will find, in addition to traditional national
dishes, examples of new dishes based on local tradition, fusion between national cusines, and complex
dishes from the menus of Michelin-star chefs.
The dishes in this guide have been selected as suggestions in order to inspire you to explore rakı
gastronomy even further. Together with the mezes that you will prepare thanks to the experience and
creativity of your chefs and suggestions from your service team, Yeni Rakı can also assist you in creating
new experiences.
01

4. Starters
• Ajika dip – spicy hot sauce packed with herbs and spices, served with toast
• Georgian-style pickled vegetables
• Eggs with garlic mayonnaise
• Marinated green tomatoes
• Marinated hot peppers
• Beetroot with mayonnaise
• Marinated hot peppers
• Ketsi mushrooms filled with Sulguni cheese
• Nadugi – cheese with mint wrapped in thin slices of Sulguni cheese
• Sulguni shebolili – smoked Sulguni cheese
• Gebzhalia – cheese in mint and sour cream sauce
• Matsoni – sticky yoghurt
• Gebzhalia with Matsoni – softened cheese dish with mint and garlic
• Ajapsandali – aubergines, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and seasoning
• Badrijnis khizilala – aubergine salad
• Khachapuri – Georgian cheese-filled bread
• Kuchmachi – chicken livers, hearts, gizzards and walnuts
• Mashed kidney beans with Ajika sauce and walnuts
• Lobiani – kidney bean filled bread
02

5. 03
• Chicken liver with Ajika – sautéed chicken liver with spicy hot sauce filled with herbs and spices
• Badrijani – fried aubergine stuffed with spiced walnut paste
• Pkhali – cabbage with walnuts, garlic, onions, vinegar and spices
• Fried green tomatoes with onions and carrots

6. • Ghomi – coarse cornmeal porridge topped with strips of Sulguni cheese and butter
• Cheese, mushroom and tarragon tapamtsvari – wild oyster mushrooms with tarragon and Imeretian
cheese
• Golubzi – cabbage rolls served with sour cream
• Herring with potatoes
04

7. Salads
• Georgian Salad – tomatoes, fresh parsley, purple basil, green peppers, red onion and cucumbers.
Cheese (Georgian Imeretian) or walnuts
• Stuffed tomatoes and cucumbers
• Kirkazhi lobio – bean salad with red onion, garlic, mint, parsley, bay leaves and olive oil dressing
• Tomato and walnut salad
05

8. 06
Main courses
• Khinkali – large dumplings filled with meat
• Shashlyk – special grilled lamb
• Chakapuli – stewed lamb with tarragon, green plums and onions
• Chakhokhbili – tarragon-infused spicy beef and stewed chicken with
fresh herbs
• Fried trout with pomegranate & coriander sauce
• Pan-fried trout with walnut stuffing
• Sautéed beef with mushrooms and Ajika sauce
• Ostri – hot and spicy beef stew
• Beef Kharcho with rice
• Beef Chashushuli with mushrooms
• Khashlama – beef served with parsley
• Chicken Shishkebob – chicken skewers

9. 07

10. Dessert
• Gozinaqi – caramelised walnuts glazed with honey
• Muraba – melon, peach or cherries preserved in sugar
• Pelamushi – thick jelly made from grape juice and corn flour
• Tapluna (Pakhlava) – a rich, sweet pastry filled with chopped nuts and
sweetened with syrup
• Kada – cream-filled pastry
• Churchkhela – nuts beaded on a thread and dipped in flour-thickened
grape juice
• Tsandili – cereal seasoned with raisins and walnuts
• Matsoni with honey & walnuts
08

11. 09