Imeretian khachapuri: the original, and why the rest are copies

By Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD · 15/09/2026

Updated 23 October 2026

Visitors learn the word khachapuri on the first day and the boat-shaped Adjarian version, with its raw egg and butter, on the second. It is spectacular and it photographs well, which is why it has become the emblem. But ask a Georgian what khachapuri means, without qualification, and the answer is the Imeretian one: a round of soft dough, a layer of cheese, sealed, flattened and baked until the top blisters gold and the inside is molten. It is the base from which every other variant descends, and it comes from the region around Kutaisi.

The cheese

The secret is the cheese, and the cheese is Imeruli — a fresh, mild, slightly sour cow’s-milk curd, made in every farmhouse in the region, sold in white rounds at every market, and used within days. It melts without going stringy and has enough salt to season the bread without anything else. Sulguni, the firmer brined cheese of neighbouring Samegrelo, is often mixed in for stretch; in Tbilisi restaurants that is the norm. In Imereti it is a compromise. The purist’s khachapuri is Imeruli alone, and a good Imeruli needs nothing.

The making

A yeasted dough — in older kitchens, a dough raised with matsoni, the Georgian yoghurt — rolled into a round; the crumbled cheese heaped in the middle; the edges gathered up over it and pinched shut, like a purse; the purse turned over and rolled out again, gently, until the cheese is an even layer inside a flat disc the size of a plate. Baked on a hot stone or in a dry pan, turned once, brushed with butter when it comes out. It is done when the top is blistered and the middle gives. Cut into wedges, eaten hot, with the hands.

The family

From this base: Megrelian khachapuri, the same disc with more cheese baked on top; Adjarian, the open boat from the coast; Rachan lobiani, filled with beans instead of cheese; Svan kubdari, filled with meat; Ossetian, with potato; Guruli, folded into a crescent with a boiled egg inside for Christmas. Every region claims a distinction. Imereti claims priority, and the others, privately, concede it.

Where to eat it

Not in a restaurant, ideally, but in a house — the difference between a khachapuri made from this morning’s cheese and one made from yesterday’s is real. Failing that, at a roadside bakery in Imereti where the ovens are going all day, or at the Kutaisi market, where the women who sell the cheese will tell you exactly which stall bakes with it. With a glass of Imeretian Tsolikouri, the region’s white, which is made for it.

See it with GTour

Lunch on the Kutaisi & Western Georgia tour is Imeretian: khachapuri from a family kitchen, pkhali, and the local wine. The canyons day stops at a bakery on the way.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: shenidasveneba.ge

Quick answers

What is considered the original khachapuri? The original is Imeretian khachapuri, a round of soft dough with a sealed layer of cheese inside, flattened and baked until the top blisters gold and the inside is molten. It comes from the region around Kutaisi and is considered the base from which all other khachapuri variants descend.

What cheese is used in authentic Imeretian khachapuri? The key cheese is Imeruli, a fresh, mild, slightly sour cow's-milk curd made in farmhouses throughout the region and sold in white rounds at local markets. It melts smoothly without becoming stringy and has enough natural salt to season the bread on its own, meaning a purist version uses only Imeruli with nothing else added.

How is Imeretian khachapuri made? A yeasted dough, traditionally raised with matsoni (Georgian yoghurt), is rolled into a round, filled with crumbled cheese, gathered into a sealed purse, then flattened again into an even disc. It is baked on a hot stone or dry pan, turned once, brushed with butter afterward, and is done when the top is blistered and the middle gives.

What is the difference between Imeretian and Adjarian khachapuri? Adjarian khachapuri is the open, boat-shaped version from the coast, topped with a raw egg and butter, and is the more photogenic style that most visitors see first. Imeretian khachapuri, by contrast, is a sealed, flattened round of dough and cheese, and is the original form that Georgians mean when they say the word without qualification.

What other khachapuri variants exist across Georgia? Variants include Megrelian khachapuri, which adds extra cheese baked on top; Rachan lobiani, filled with beans; Svan kubdari, filled with meat; Ossetian, filled with potato; and Guruli, a crescent-shaped version with a boiled egg inside, traditionally eaten at Christmas. Each region claims its own distinction, though most privately concede that Imereti holds priority as the source.

Where is the best place to eat Imeretian khachapuri? Ideally it should be eaten in a private home, since the difference between khachapuri made with same-day cheese versus day-old cheese is noticeable. Good alternatives are roadside bakeries in Imereti with ovens running all day, or the Kutaisi market, where cheese sellers can point to the best stalls baking with it.

What wine pairs well with Imeretian khachapuri? The recommended pairing is Imeretian Tsolikouri, the region's white wine, which is said to be made specifically to accompany this dish.

Photo: Radosław Botev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 pl