GTG - Herbal Walk in Adjara Mountains

Tour Type: Ethnobotanical Tour, Food Tour | Region: Adjara (high mountains)

Herbal Walk in Adjara Mountains

Dates: July – August | Duration: Full day | Group size: 4 - 12

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Intro

Adjara is rated as a most species-rich region in the southern Caucasus Mountains. Thanks to the subtropical climate and high mountains up to 3400m, here grows about 2000 wild plant species, most of which play an important role for humans and animals. Local people mainly use plants and its parts for healthy diets and for alleviating or healing complaints.
On this tour we walk along beautiful valleys, ancient villages, forests and over meadows in search of wild herbs and spices. Then we prepare delicious plant-based medicine, dishes and drinks in a simple kitchen of local host family.

Bon appétit!

Important notes
Each tour leads to a new area so that we don't eradicate the edible plants in one place.
We do not touch protected plants. We collect only common wild plants for the direct self-consumption.
Geographic Travel Georgia sees itself as a tour operator who is actively committed to the preservation of biodiversity.

Highlights

Identify, collect and prepare edible wild plants
Getting acquainted with traditional knowledge and experiences how to use wild plants in the cuisine and medicine
Discover the high mountains of Adjara
Experience local lifestyles

Tour Guides
Marina Thomas, ethnobotanist by Geographic Travel Georgia

Languages
The tour is offered in Russian on Tuesday, and in English on Thursday. For German speaking tours or private tours please contact us.

Equipment
Walking or hiking boots, outdoor clothing, rain suite, sun cream

Meeting point
Batumi, Memed Abashidze Ave 31, front to Europe Square

Departure time
9.00 am

Tour Map

Itinerary

Batumi – Adjara high mountains - Batumi

Departure to the Adjara high mountains. After 1.5 hours of driving along the valleys covered by ancient houses, dark forests, cracks and waterfalls we reach selected village and visit a family farm. First, we make a walk in the organic garden and observe cultivated herbs, vegetables and fruits. Usually honey, grapes, cherry, morus, pumpkins, beans, tomatoes, eggplants and other common garden products are grown here for self-sufficiency.

After we walk nearby forest with beautiful streams and flowering meadows and learn identifying medicinal and edible plants, including herbs, bears, flowers and tree leaves. At the same time, you will hear narratives about using this plants in different cultures. Most of the plants we will find are used for various purposes such as hygiene, relaxing, scar healing, pain and cold or just as delicious food or drink. We will carefully pick these plants and take them to the farmhouse kitchen.

In the evening, with the collected species, we will prepare drinks and dishes together. You will learn about proper preparation, dosage and consumption. Then we taste what we have prepared. In addition, our host family will invite us to a traditional meal. The menu includes:
Chorba, a traditional soup with wild herbs and spices; Herbal salad, made by wild plant leaves and flowers; Homemade yogurt with wild berries or spices; Immune-boosting herbal tea made for example with chamomile, dog rose, mint and blueberry leaves and others; Malakhto, young kidney beans in a spiced walnut sauce; Tolma, spiced rice wrapped in chard leaves and eaten with cornbread

Around 9 p.m. we reach our meeting point in Batumi again.

Meal Plan: picnic and dinner

Gallery