Gunda traditional local foods in Tbilisi Georgia

Gunda offers traditional local baked goods in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Gunda: Reviving Lost Georgian Pastries in Tbilisi

Published: June 24, 2023

Gunda is a great restaurant for those who want to dive deeper into the culinary and agricultural heritage of Georgia. Gunda was founded by Lali Papashvili and Levan Kokiashvili with a mission to revive almost forgotten Georgian baked goods. Apart from their efforts in the kitchen, the founders also started the petition that put khachapuri on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Foods that you can order at Gunda include Meskhetian khachapuri and Abkhazian achma (both feature layered bread and cheese) and pkhlovana (an Ossetian khachapuri that features a wide range of savory fillings. Excellent versions of more common favorites such as Imeretian and Megrelian khachapuri, as well as lobiani (a red bean filled khachapuri) can also be found at Gunda.

My personal favorite at Gunda is the tsulispiriani. Tsulispiriani is the original lobiani. Before beans were introduced to Georgia, another legume called tsulispira, known in English as grass pea or sometimes Indian Pea, was used to make a protein-rich, meatless pastry. During my last visit to Gunda I also tried something new: Khabidzgina. Khabidzgina is an Ossetian pie made with Imeretian cheese and potatoes that is also popular in Shida Kartli, another region of Georgia.

I also highly recommend the Meskhetian kada. In Georgia you may notice a common baked dish called kada. It’s a crumbly, baked, spiced roll. A version of this sweet can also be found in Armenia, where it goes by “gata.” Meskhetian kada is a bit different from the more common variety at closer to Armenian gata. It looks more like a common khachapuri, but is a bit harder and has a sweet filling.

At Gunda, most pies come in two sizes. Most items, including the large pies, cost under 30 lari (under $12). Though khachapuri or lobiani will be slightly more expensive than at any other mid-range Georgia restaurant in Tbilisi, the food is hearty and filling, which makes Gunda worth the trip, especially if you bring friends so that you can order a variety of other more exotic dishes to try.

 

You’ll Also Love

Mtirala National Park in Georgia

Camping in a Georgian Rain Forest: Mtirala National Park

Mtirala National Park is a vast rainforest between the Black Sea and the Adjara Mountains. The surrounding mountain areas in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus create an environment prone to severe humidity. The name “Mtirala” means “to cry” in Georgian and is derived from the annual rainfall of 4-4.5 meters. Not only is this one […]

Share on Social Media
0 comments
Study international relations abroad

Review of Identity and Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space in Tbilisi, Georgia

If you’d have asked me on June 10th, 2022 when I landed in Tbilisi if I’d be here, in Georgia, almost a year later, the answer would have almost definitely been “no.” However, I had so many great experiences and met so many extraordinary people that summer abroad that I felt the need to return […]

Share on Social Media
0 comments
The Street Dogs of Georgia

The Street Dogs of Georgia

Georgia is one of SRAS’ fastest growing study abroad locations. Students that head to Batumi or Tbilisi return home with incredible stories of a friendly, architecturally interesting city, fabulous food, breathtaking mountain adventures, and, very often… dogs. Georgia’s stray dogs are remarkably well-kept by Georgian society. They are generally well-fed, well-behaved, and even fully vaccinated. […]

Share on Social Media
0 comments
Travel Caucasus Armenia

Traveling the Caucasus with SRAS’ ICON Program: The Value of Educational Travel

One of the most exciting aspects of SRAS’s Identity and Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space program is the opportunity to travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan while you are based with your program in Georgia. The opportunity to see all three of the countries of the South Caucasus clarifies the diverse circumstances and attitudes in not […]

Share on Social Media
0 comments
Day Trips from Tbilisi. Kakheti

SRAS Day Trips from Tbilisi

Georgia, despite being only about the size of West Virginia, offers an incredibly diverse array of landscapes and cultures to explore. The bustling capital of Tbilisi is located relatively near the country’s center, meaning that adventurous travelers can take in many of Georgia’s unique regions as comfortable day trips. The three such day trips below […]

Share on Social Media
0 comments
Share on Social Media

About the author

Matilda Linne

Matilda Linne, at the time she wrote for this site, was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Vassar College in New York. She studied abroad on the Identity and Conflict program with SRAS over spring semester, 2023. She also served an Online Research Internship with SRAS over the summer of 2023.

Program attended: Research Internships

View all posts by: Matilda Linne