Khachapuri is Georgia's national bread — a cheese-filled dough that varies by region. The most spectacular version is Adjaruli (from the Adjara region on the Black Sea coast): shaped like a boat, filled with molten sulguni and imeruli cheese, and finished with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter dropped into the centre just before serving. The diner stirs the egg and butter into the molten cheese, creating a rich, silky, golden filling, then tears pieces of the bread crust to dip into it.
- **The boat shape is structural, not decorative.** The raised edges contain the molten cheese filling. The pointed ends of the boat provide handles for tearing. - **The egg and butter go in at the table.** The bread comes from the oven with molten cheese. A well is made in the centre, the egg yolk is dropped in, the butter is placed alongside. The diner's hands do the mixing — the heat of the cheese cooks the egg just enough. - **The cheese must be a mix.** Pure sulguni is too stretchy and salty. Pure imeruli is too mild. A blend — typically 60% sulguni, 40% imeruli — provides the right balance of salt, stretch, and melt.
FRENCH REGIONAL DEEP — THE STORIES ESCOFFIER NEVER WROTE