No culinary tour of Machakhela is complete without tasting its cheeses and the dishes they inspire. Dairy farming is a way of life in the region’s mountain villages: cows and goats grazing on wild herbs give milk that locals handcraft into various cheeses. A popular type is sulguni, a brined cow’s cheese with a pleasantly tangy, buttery taste and a springy texture (often compared to fresh mozzarella). Sulguni and similar cheeses take center stage in many Adjarian recipes. Another local specialty is borano, essentially a cheese fondue: chunks of aged Adjarian braided cheese are fried in clarified butter to create a rich, hearty dish traditionally served to guests. Borano is so cherished it’s been honored as part of Georgia’s intangible cultural heritage.
Travelers can visit village households or a “cheese corner” guesthouse to watch cheese being made, try their hand at churning or stretching curds, and enjoy a table spread with fresh and aged cheeses, homemade bread, and the region’s distinctive butter-fried and baked cheese dishes. In Machakhela, cheese isn’t just food – it’s a expression of hospitality and rural tradition.
