Spend more than a couple of days in the country of Georgia, and chances are you’ll find yourself invited to a Georgian feast. This multi-hour, multi-course supra — which translates literally as “tablecloth” — is one of the most vital (and dynamic) events in Georgian culture. Whether Georgians are celebrating a birthday or a marriage, a regional holiday or professional success, the festive, wine-fueled supra keeps the community together.
Traditionally, the most esteemed man in the room serves
in the role of the tamada, or toastmaster. The tamada presents a series
of lavish toasts throughout the evening — some of which are more formal
and structured. For example toasts to Georgia itself, to God, and to peace, usually
start the evening. Later, the toasts get more flexible. While, traditionally,
drinkers would drain their glass (or, if keeping with tradition, drain their ram’s horn) with every
toast, this isn’t always done now.
While some Tbilisi supras take place in restaurants, the true supra
is a thoroughly home-based affair. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to
a village supra, chances are that almost everything you eat, or the
wine you drink, comes from your host’s garden
(or at least, their next-door neighbor’s garden). Plenty of
Georgian hosts get the best meat, cheese, or fruit not from the
supermarket but from regular deliveries from their cousins in the country.
