Georgia, Japan and Italy are some of the most famous gastronomic destinations, and this is not surprising. The cuisines of these countries have given the world such famous dishes as khinkali, satsivi, rolls and sushi, pizza, pasta and risotto, which are gaining more and more popularity. However, until now, not everyone knows exactly how to eat these national dishes in accordance with the rules of etiquette and traditions of the region.
Khinkali
This Georgian dish, which appeared in the 18th century, gained popularity all over the world. Juicy meat, fresh herbs, combined with the most delicate thin dough, amaze gourmets to the very heart. However, few people know about the rules for using khinkali - some try to cut the dough with a fork and a knife (Georgians can faint from such a sight), others eat the dish with a tail, and still others do not know how to approach them.
In fact, there is only one correct way to use this dish. Khinkali can be eaten only with your hands, gently biting off a piece from the side, drinking the juice, and only then finishing the rest. It is strictly forbidden to use devices - this way all the precious broth will flow out of the dish, which gives khinkali their special taste and aroma.
Also, Georgian chefs do not recommend adding any sauces to khinkali - this will spoil the taste of the dish. It is permissible to use a little black pepper before serving.
As for drinks, khinkali is traditionally washed down with chacha or beer, and in many khinkali you can find a large selection of lemonades that go well with a Georgian dish.
Sushi and rolls
Japanese culture is one of the oldest and richest in the world, including their culture of eating. Rolls and sushi appeared in the land of the rising sun in the 6th century, and instantly gained popularity among the locals.
Today sushi is still popular in Japan, but locals have certain rules for using this dish. Firstly, it is customary to eat rolls and sushi for lunch, since they are considered quite difficult to digest food. Secondly, the Japanese never eat sushi with chopsticks - this dish of rice and fish is so fragile that it can fall apart if you take it with chopsticks, besides, according to the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun, when you eat rolls with your hands, you get a tactile pleasure.
And, of course, the Japanese will never dip the whole roll in a container with soy sauce, as this completely deprives the dish of its delicate taste. Locals lightly sprinkle the roll with a mixture of soy sauce and ginger, no more.
As a drink, the Japanese offer to eat sushi to the accompaniment of green tea brewed according to the rules or traditional sake (read also: From the Silk Road to 5 o'clock tea: how tea became one of the most popular drinks in the world).
Paste
There are hundreds of thousands of types of pasta and sauces for it in the world, and gourmets experience gastronomic delight, trying this dish in his homeland, in Italy. Moreover, each region of the Mediterranean country surprises its guests with different secrets and peculiarities of pasta making - tortellini with all kinds of fillings in Romagna, carbonara in Lazio, rigatoni in Calabria, the list is endless.
And if problems rarely arise with other types of pasta, then when it comes to spaghetti, many are lost. It is worth remembering that the classic and correct way to use this type of pasta is to use a fork and spoon: in your right hand you hold a fork with which you pick up several strands of pasta, after which you help yourself with a spoon, where you wind them into a small ball.
It should not be allowed that long "tails" remain when winding the paste. This not only does not look aesthetically pleasing, but also threatens the appearance of stains on clothes.
Traditionally, Italian pasta is washed down with wine. The variety depends on the type of pasta and sauce with which it is served. Pasta with tomato sauce goes well with dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio. An excellent addition to pasta with seafood sauce will be such wines as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, verdicchio. And the pesto sauce is ideally set off by acidic wines with clear herbal notes, such as sauvignon blanc, gavi, vermentino (see also: How to choose a wine: 5 tips).
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