Lobio and lobiani: Georgia’s bean dishes

Lobio means beans. Lobiani is bean-filled bread. One arrives as a stew or mashed dish, the other as a pie. Georgia Travel traces kidney beans from western regions into wider use.

Lobio changes by region

The official lobio page lists Megrelian beans with tkemali, Imeretian beans with leeks and Gurian whole beans called kirkazhi. Rachan lobio often includes ham. Eastern versions appear as soups with mint and coriander. Fresh bean dishes are associated with summer. Named cultivars include Berbuki, Chrela, Chitiskvertskha and Gurian Khviara.

Lobiani turns beans into bread

Rachan lobiani is linked with local beans and smoked ham. Georgia Travel describes beans soaked overnight, then cooked with ham while dough rises. A carved wooden stamp presses a sun disk or other figures onto the pie.

• Choose lobio for a bowl with herbs, mchadi or pickles.
• Choose lobiani for filled bread.
• In Racha, ask whether the pie includes ham.

Read about Gurian food customs