Foodie Challenge Featured Winner: A Georgian Feast

Well, the moment we have all been waiting for is finally here. Photos have been submitted; winners have been chosen; delicious chocolate is being mailed to five deserving photographers as we speak. It’s time to announce the Foodie Challenge winners.

Actually, we are only going to show you one of the five winning photos today. All of the submissions we received were great, so we want to be sure to give each photographer his or her due. (Plus, who doesn’t want to read about delicious food, traveling, and photography? Now you get to savor each one individually.)

So, without further ado, today’s featured Foodie Challenge winner is (drum roll please…) Daniel Noll, for his photo Georgian Feast of Khinkali.

Daniel took the photo in Tbilisi, Georgia, which was one stop in his around-the-world journey with fellow traveler Audrey Scott. Audrey shares the story behind Daniel’s photo after the break.

About the Photo:

“The weekend we arrived in Tbilisi, a friend took us out to lunch to introduce us to real Georgian cuisine. Before we knew it, a plate of 25 khinkali appeared (for the three of us!), as well as plates of spinach, eggplant, mushrooms, meatballs and much more. This was our first exposure to Georgian hospitality and the idea of the Georgian supra (feast).  

“Khinkali is one of the staples of Georgian cuisine and it is delicious! Traditionally, as in this photo, the dough is stuffed with minced meat flavored with fresh herbs and spices. The dough is turned, tucked, and twisted in such a way so as to provide a little handle at the top for the diner to pick it up. More importantly, this keeps the broth from the meat inside the dumpling.

“Our Georgian friend taught us how to eat them properly on that first encounter: hold it by the knob so that the meat is below your hand, sprinkle it with black pepper, create a little tear and suck the broth out so that it doesn’t spill all over your hand, then dive in to eat the rest. Don’t eat the dough knob–it will fill you up, and the knobs are counted at the end of the meal to figure out how many you ate.”

Read more about Daniel and Audrey’s experiences with Georgian cuisine on their website. And stayed tuned for more stories and photos from our Foodie Challenge Winners!

Photo via uncorneredmarket on flickr.