A warm offal spread of chopped pork hearts, livers and gizzards simmered and bound with a ground-walnut sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds. The Megrelian version specifically favors pork offal and the walnut-cilantro dressing.
Megrelian kuchmachi is the Samegrelo variant of the Georgian offal spread, made of chopped pork (or chicken) hearts, livers and gizzards, simmered and bound with a ground-walnut sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds. While kuchmachi exists across Georgia, the Megrelian version specifically favors pork offal, and the walnut-and-cilantro dressing aligns with Samegrelo's flavor profile. It is a New Year's Eve essential and a classic supra dish, ranked by TasteAtlas among the world's best offal dishes.
Earthy, dense and savoury, the finely chopped offal bound in a nutty, garlicky walnut paste, the pomegranate seeds popping tart and bright on top. Eaten warm with mchadi or bread, it is rich and gamey.
The offal is simmered whole until tender, then finely chopped by hand (not ground) so the texture stays distinct. A walnut paste (like a dry bazhe) is made separately with garlic, dried coriander and blue fenugreek, then folded through the warm chopped offal, binding it into a cohesive mass. The dish is mounded on a plate and crowned with pomegranate seeds and a ring of oil. The walnut paste is what makes the Megrelian version distinct.
Variations
A chicken version is lighter. Some cooks add a splash of pomegranate juice to the walnut paste.
On the Palate
Where Megrelian Kuchmachi sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 30 min
- 112 min
Simmer 500g mixed pork offal (hearts, livers, gizzards) in water with 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic and bay leaf for 45 minutes until tender; drain and cool.
- 28 min
Finely chop the cooked offal by hand.
Watch outChop the cooked offal by hand, not in a grinder — hand-chopping keeps the pieces distinct so the texture stays coarse; a grinder turns it to paste.
- 36 min
Grind 150g walnuts with 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp dried coriander, 1 tsp blue fenugreek and salt to a paste.
- 48 min
Fold the walnut paste into the warm chopped offal until bound into a cohesive mass.
Watch outFold the walnut paste through while the offal is still warm — the warmth helps it bind into one cohesive mass; this walnut paste is what makes the Megrelian version.
- 54 min
Mound on a plate, make a well in the centre, and fill with 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds.
- 64 min
Pour 2 tbsp sunflower oil around the edge and serve warm with mchadi.
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