{"id":13112,"date":"2018-10-02T15:34:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T15:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mircorp.com\/?p=13112"},"modified":"2024-12-03T19:19:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T19:19:12","slug":"interview-with-carla-capalbo-award-winning-author-of-tasting-georgia-a-food-and-wine-journey-in-the-caucasus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/interview-with-carla-capalbo-award-winning-author-of-tasting-georgia-a-food-and-wine-journey-in-the-caucasus\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Carla Capalbo: Award-Winning Author of “Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Author Carla Capalbo featured alongside her newest book, Tasting Georgia. Photo credit: Carla Capalbo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sheltered among the soaring peaks and valleys of the Caucasus Mountains between Europe and Asia, the little republic of Georgia<\/a> has been recognized time and time again as one of the world\u2019s greatest travel destinations<\/strong> \u2014 a fabulously beautiful country boasting breathtaking scenery, inviting Black Sea beaches, highland villages harking back to the Middle Ages, spine-tingling polyphonic singing, and unabashedly abundant feasts filled with sumptuous food and wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georgia\u2019s\u00a0exciting culinary fare\u00a0is perhaps what has attracted the greatest amount of the world\u2019s attention<\/strong>, no doubt because of outlets like\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and its hundreds of photos of irresistible Georgian comfort foods such as rich and melty\u00a0khachapuri<\/em>\u00a0bread. But beyond these enticing images of cheesy, carb-laden fan favorites, few people know what the real cuisine of Georgia is actually like.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fresh and local dishes fill the Georgian table. Photo credit: Kees Sprengers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Now thanks to award-winning food, wine, travel writer, and photographer Carla Capalbo<\/a><\/strong>, foodies, travel buffs, and armchair readers alike can discover the extraordinary gastronomic traditions of this little-known country with her latest cooking compendium, Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known for her detailed and personal travel books about food and wine, Carla was drawn to Georgia by its centuries-old winemaking traditions<\/strong>, but soon found herself equally smitten with its vibrant and varied local cuisine.<\/strong> She returned dozens of times over a period of several years, collecting stories and recipes that captured the full range of the country\u2019s remarkable culinary repertoire.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A visit with a a winemaker in the little village of Koreti, Georgia. Photo credit: Kees Sprengers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Equal parts travelogue and cookbook, Tasting Georgia<\/em> gives readers an unprecedented peek into Georgian kitchens<\/strong>, offering insider travel tips, restaurant and winery recommendations, <\/strong>and a satisfying collection of recipes<\/strong> from each of the country\u2019s distinctive regions, including mouthwatering spicy ribs, slow-simmered chicken spiked with pomegranate juice, and eggs cooked in a rich sauce of fresh tomatoes and caramelized onions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We caught up with Carla to find out more about her new book and about the intriguing culinary and cultural traditions of gorgeous Georgia.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of your past books have focused on the culinary and winemaking traditions of Italy. How did you become interested in Georgia and what made you want to write a book about it?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The book I wrote before this one was about an area in northeastern Italy called Friuli, which is particularly famous for its white wines. One of the winemakers who I\u2019d befriended there was Josko Gravner<\/a>, and to my knowledge, he was the first non-Georgian to start making wines in Georgian qvevri<\/em>. In a former life, I had been a sculptor, so when I first saw one of the qvevri<\/em> out in Josko\u2019s vineyards, was just absolutely bowled over \u2014 I thought they were so beautiful. That beauty and energy was even more apparent when I went into his cellar and tasted the wine they held. From then on, I really made a determination to one day get to Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A Georgian winemaker dips into a qvevri<\/em>, demonstrating a UNESCO-listed ancient method of making wine. Photo credit: John Wurdeman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Well, it took about four years, but through friends in London who import Georgian wines, I had been invited to a qvevri<\/em> symposium in Tbilisi. Within a few days of my visit, I had fallen completely in love with Georgia. I thought to myself, \u201cGod, I\u2019ve really gotta go and get the best food and wine books I can here before I go back to London!\u201d I was shocked to find that virtually nothing at the bookstores reflected what I had seen and tasted.<\/p>\n\n\n

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