Khachapuri facts for kids
Adjarian khachapuri
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| Alternative names | hachapuri, xachapuri |
|---|---|
| Type | Pie |
| Course | pastry / filled pastry |
| Place of origin | Georgia |
| Region or state | South Caucasus |
| Serving temperature | hot |
| Main ingredients | Cheese, eggs, flour |
| Variations | open, closed |
Khachapuri (pronounced "hah-chah-POO-ree") is a super yummy, traditional Georgian dish. It's basically a delicious bread filled with cheese! The name comes from two Georgian words: "khacho" meaning "curds" (a type of cheese) and "puri" meaning "bread."
To make Khachapuri, bakers use a special dough that rises, just like regular bread. They shape it in different ways, then fill the middle with a mix of cheese, eggs, and sometimes other tasty things. People often tear off pieces of the bread crust and dip them into the warm, gooey cheese filling.
Khachapuri is very popular in Georgia. You can find it in fancy restaurants or buy it as a quick snack from street vendors. It's so important that Georgia even uses its price to measure how much things cost in different cities! This is called the "khachapuri index." Khachapuri is Georgia's national dish. It's also recognized as an important part of Georgia's culture and history. February 27th is even National Khachapuri Day, a special day to celebrate this amazing pastry and help more people around the world discover it.
Different Kinds of Khachapuri
There are many different types of Khachapuri, each from a specific region in Georgia. They all have their own unique shapes and fillings:
- Imeretian Khachapuri (Imeruli) is the most common type. It's a round, flat bread filled with salty white cheese.
- Adjarian Khachapuri (Acharuli) looks like a boat! It has cheese, butter, and a raw egg yolk in the middle. You stir the egg and butter into the hot cheese before eating.
- Megrelian Khachapuri (Megruli) is similar to the Imeretian kind, but it has even more cheese on top, making it extra cheesy.
- Achma comes from the region of Abkhazia. It has many layers of dough and cheese, almost like a cheesy lasagna without the sauce.
- Gurian Khachapuri (Guruli) is shaped like a crescent moon. It's filled with chopped boiled eggs and cheese. People in the Guria region often make these for Christmas.
- Ossetian Khachapuri (Osuri) is also known as khabizgini. It's filled with a mix of potato and cheese.
- Penovani Khachapuri from Samtskhe–Javakheti is made with flaky puff pastry dough. This makes it light and airy, with a delicious cheese filling inside.
Khachapuri Around the World
Khachapuri is not just popular in Georgia; people in other countries love it too!
- It's a favorite snack in many countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union, like Russia. For example, over 175,000 Khachapuris were eaten during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia!
- In Armenia, Khachapuri is a common street food. You can find it in restaurants and even school cafeterias.
- It has also become a popular brunch food in Israel, brought there by people from Georgia.
- Khachapuri is a very common dish in New York City, especially in areas like Forest Hills, Queens and Rego Park, Queens where many people from the former Soviet Union live.
See also
In Spanish: Jachapuri para niños
