lobio recipe history culture origin

Lobio. Photo courtesy Michael Denner and illustrator Olena Bushana.

Lobio with Vinegar (Georgian Red Bean Salad)

Published: January 13, 2019

The following is an excerpt from โ€œะ›ะพะฑะธะพ, ัะฐั†ะธะฒะธ, ั…ะฐั‡ะฐะฟัƒั€ะธ, ะธะปะธ ะ“ั€ัƒะทะธั ัะพ ะฒะบัƒัะพะผโ€œ (Lobio, Satsivi, Khatchapuri, or Georgia with Taste) by Tinatin Mzhavanadze, a best-selling cookbook author in Georgia. It has been translated and adapted by Dr. Michael Denner of Stetson University in Florida.

History and Preparation of Lobio

Dr. Michael Denner: Lobio (แƒšแƒแƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ, ะปะพะฑะธะพ)ย means โ€œbeansโ€ (including green or broad beans) in Georgian and does not refer to a particular dish. However, the word has been adopted from Georgian into many other languages to refer to the Georgian bean stew that spread throughout the Former Soviet Union and is still widely prepared in the states that were formed from it. The recipe below makes a salad from dried bean seeds (kidney beans), and is meant to be served, like so many dishes in the Georgian repertoire, at room temperature. In Georgia, this dish would probably be made with kvatsarakhi, a concentrated form of the national condiment, tkemali. Butย any red or white wine vinegar works great, too! (So would a good apple cider vinegar.)

SRAS: Sometimes in translation the audience itself must be translated. In other words, things that are common knowledge for one cultural group will need to be explained in detail for another. For the original meaning of a text to come across in translation, then, sometimes strict translation must be abandoned and a looser, more adaptive style is needed. Below, many such adaptations have been applied. Measurements have been converted โ€“ including the common Georgian measurement of โ€œa knife tip,โ€ meaning the amount of spice that will fit on the end of a kitchen knife, with similar measurements more familiar to American readers. Also interesting is the addition of โ€œpomegranate seedsโ€ to the list of ingredients on the English side. Although included in the recipe instructions in the original, it doesnโ€™t show in the original list of ingredients. The original was written for Georgian cooks in Georgia, who will almost certainly have a pomegranate on hand if cooking anything โ€“ as pomegranate seeds garnish a vast array of Georgian dishes. Considerably more detail has been added to the instructions as well โ€“ again, mostly filling in for where common knowledge usually prevails for the original audience. Much as in the Georgian tradition, the original recipe here has been used a solid guideline โ€“ and the final product is to the liking of the chef. Keep this in mind as you cook and, most importantly, enjoy!

Lobio Recipe

(ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!)

Tinatin Mzhavanadzeย (as translated and adapted from the Russian by Dr. Michael Denner): Tinatin Mzhavanadzeย (original text):
Every fall, my mother dries all sorts of garden bounty. The inspiring spectacle of bright colors, colorful blooms, gentle shapes, intoxicating scentsโ€ฆ With all the different kinds of beans she grows, you could create paintings, and not just some sort of primitive modernist sketch, but a painting worthy of Rembrandt. The beans come in every conceivable size, color, and shade. I remember once seeing gigantic, jet black beansโ€ฆ I cannot imagine what recipe youโ€™d make with them!

That said, the large dark-red kidney beans are my go-to bean: They keep their shape and color when boiled, and they look great in cold appetizers, of course predictably served with walnuts!

ะฃ ะผะพะตะน ะผะฐะผั‹ ะฟะพ ะพัะตะฝะธ ััƒัˆะฐั‚ัั ะฒััะบะธะต ะดะฐั€ั‹ ะฟั€ะธั€ะพะดั‹ ะธ ะตะต ะพะณะพั€ะพะดะฝั‹ั… ั‚ั€ัƒะดะพะฒ: ัั‚ะพ ั‚ะฐะบะพะต ัƒะผะธั€ะพั‚ะฒะพั€ััŽั‰ะตะต ะทั€ะตะปะธั‰ะต, ะบั€ะฐัะบะธ ัั€ะบะธะต, ั€ะฐัั†ะฒะตั‚ะบะธ ะฟะตัั‚ั€ั‹ะต, ะพั‡ะตั€ั‚ะฐะฝะธั ะฟะปะฐะฒะฝั‹ะต, ะทะฐะฟะฐั…ะธ ะพะดัƒั€ััŽั‰ะธะต. ะ ะธะท ั€ะฐะทะฝั‹ั… ัะพั€ั‚ะพะฒ ะปะพะฑะธะพ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะฒั‹ะบะปะฐะดั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะบะฐั€ั‚ะธะฝั‹, ะฟั€ะธั‡ะตะผ ะฝะต ะบะฐะบะพะน-ั‚ะพ ะฟั€ะธะผะธั‚ะธะฒะฝั‹ะน ะฐะฒะฐะฝะณะฐั€ะดะธะทะผ, ะฐ ั‡ั‚ะพ-ะฝะธะฑัƒะดัŒ ะธะท ั„ะปะฐะผะฐะฝะดั†ะตะฒ: ะตัั‚ัŒ ะฒัะต ะผั‹ัะปะธะผั‹ะต ั€ะฐะทะผะตั€ั‹, ั†ะฒะตั‚ะฐ ะธ ะพั‚ั‚ะตะฝะบะธ. ะžะดะธะฝ ั€ะฐะท ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะดะฐะถะต ะฐะฝั‚ั€ะฐั†ะธั‚ะพะฒะพ-ั‡ะตั€ะฝั‹ะต ะณะธะณะฐะฝั‚ัะบะธะต ั„ะฐัะพะปะธะฝั‹ โ€“ ะธ ั‡ั‚ะพ ะธะท ะฝะธั… ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ, ะฝะตะฟะพะฝัั‚ะฝะพ!

ะ—ะฐั‚ะพ ะบั€ัƒะฟะฝะฐั ะบั€ะฐัะฝะฐั ั„ะฐัะพะปัŒ ะฒัะตะณะดะฐ ะฟั€ะธ ะดะตะปะต: ะฟั€ะธ ะฒะฐั€ะบะต ัะพั…ั€ะฐะฝัะตั‚ ั„ะพั€ะผัƒ ะธ ั†ะฒะตั‚ ะธ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ัะผะพั‚ั€ะธั‚ัั ะฒ ั…ะพะปะพะดะฝะพะน ะทะฐะบัƒัะบะต โ€“ ะตัั‚ะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะพ, ั ะณั€ะตั†ะบะธะผะธ ะพั€ะตั…ะฐะผะธ.

ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹
  • 1 pound dried, dark-red kidney beans
  • 1 cup chopped fresh, shelled walnuts (4 ounces)
  • 2 small red onions (6 ounces)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • Small bunch cilantro (2 1/2 ounces)
  • Walnut or olive oil
  • White or red wine vinegar
  • Whole cloves โ€“ about 4 buds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly-ground pepper
  • Pomegranate seeds (garnish)
Ingredients
  • ะบั€ะฐัะฝะพะต ะปะพะฑะธะพ โ€“ 500 ะณ.
  • ะณั€ะตั†ะบะธะต ะพั€ะตั…ะธ โ€“ 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ
  • ั„ะธะพะปะตั‚ะพะฒั‹ะน ะธะปะธ ะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ะปัƒะบ โ€“ 2-3 ัˆั‚.
  • ั‡ะตัะฝะพะบ โ€“ 2-3 ะทัƒะฑั‡ะธะบะฐ
  • ะบะธะฝะทะฐ โ€“ ะฝะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆะพะน ะฟัƒั‡ะพะบ
  • ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพ โ€“ 50 ะณ.
  • ะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ะฒะธะฝะฝั‹ะน ัƒะบััƒั โ€“ 1 ัั‚. ะปะพะถะบะฐ
  • ะณะฒะพะทะดะธะบะฐ โ€“ 3-4 ะฑัƒั‚ะพะฝะฐ
  • ะบะพั€ะธั†ะฐ โ€“ ะฝะฐ ะบะพะฝั‡ะธะบะต ะฝะพะถะฐ
  • ัะฒะตะถะตะผะพะปะพั‚ั‹ะน ั‡ะตั€ะฝั‹ะน ะฟะตั€ะตั† โ€“ 1 ั‡. ะ›ะพะถะบะฐ
  • ัะพะปัŒ
ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต
  1. In Georgia, we always soak beans overnight in abundant fresh, cold water. In the morning, pour off the water and discard it, and in a large pot, cover the soaked beans again with fresh, cold water (about twice the volume of the beans).
  2. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook the beans until theyโ€™re soft, about an hour, though much depends on their age and size. Test them, and when the beans are soft but still maintain their shape, add a few pinches of salt and continue to cook the beans for 15 minutes. Ladle off a couple cups of the cooking liquid and set aside; weโ€™ll use it later. Drain and cool the beans in a colander.
  3. Meanwhile, we make our usual beloved walnut paste, though with a few special twists. Chop the onion and the cilantro. Set aside a few tablespoons of each for garnishing later. Heat 2 tablespoons walnut or vegetable oil in a small skillet. Add the minced onion, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until softened and transparent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. In your blender, food processor, or with a mortar and pestle, grind the nuts to a flour-like consistency. Remove the walnuts to a bowl, and into your weapon of choice add the garlic and chopped cilantro. Chop or pound the garlic and cilantro to a paste, add the salt and pepper. Taste and correct for seasoning. Add this mixture to the bowl with the walnuts. In a spice grinder, or with a mortar and pestle, grind or pound the cloves to a fine powder (if using whole spices). Add the cloves and cinnamon to the walnut mixture.
  5. Add a few tablespoons of the bean cooking liquid to the bowl with the walnut mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the cooked and cooled onions, a tablespoon of the vinegar, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
  6. Taste the mixtureโ€ฆ do you like it? Adjust the salt and add acidity with more wine vinegar if needed. Since it will be served room temperature or cold, you may want to add some more vinegar anyway. If itโ€™s bland, add a little more cinnamon and clove. Since itโ€™s going to season the beans, the walnut paste should be bold.
  7. Mix the beans and the walnut paste together in a large, pretty bowl. Decorate the lobio with pomegranate seeds, the leftover minced onion and minced herbs, and serve at room temperature.
Preparation
  1. ะ›ะพะฑะธะพ ั ะฒะตั‡ะตั€ะฐ ะฝัƒะถะฝะพ ะทะฐะผะพั‡ะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั…ะพะปะพะดะฝะพะน ะฒะพะดะต โ€“ ัั‚ะพ ะพะฑั‰ะตะต ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปะพ. ะฃั‚ั€ะพะผ ะฒะพะดัƒ ัะปะธะฒะฐะตะผ, ะฝะฐะปะธะฒะฐะตะผ ัะฒะตะถะตะน (1:2) ะธ ัั‚ะฐะฒะธะผ ะฒะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒัั.
  2. ะ’ะฐั€ะธะผ ะดะพะปะณะพ, ะดะพ ะผัะณะบะพัั‚ะธ ั„ะฐัะพะปะธะฝะพะบ, ะตัะปะธ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะพ โ€“ ะพั‚ะปะธะฒะฐะตะผ ะฟะฐั€ัƒ ั‡ะตั€ะฟะฐะบะพะฒ ะพั‚ะฒะฐั€ะฐ, ะพะฝ ะฝะฐะผ ะฟั€ะธะณะพะดะธั‚ัั, ะพั‚ะบะธะดั‹ะฒะฐะตะผ ะฝะฐัˆะต ะปะพะฑะธะพ ะฝะฐ ะดัƒั€ัˆะปะฐะณ, ะธ ะฟัƒัั‚ัŒ ะพัั‚ั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚, ะฐ ะผั‹ ั‚ะตะผ ะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะตะผ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ ะฝะฐัˆัƒ ะปัŽะฑะธะผัƒัŽ ะพั€ะตั…ะพะฒัƒัŽ ะทะฐะฟั€ะฐะฒะบัƒ โ€“ ะฝะพ ั ะฝะตะบะพั‚ะพั€ั‹ะผะธ ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพัั‚ัะผะธ.
  3. ะ˜ั‚ะฐะบ, ะพั€ะตั…ะธ ัะผะพะปะพั‚ั‹ ะฒ ะผัƒะบัƒ; ะทะฐั‚ะตะผ ั‡ะตัะฝะพะบ ะธ ะบะธะฝะทัƒ ะผะตะปะบะพ ั€ะตะถะตะผ ะธ ั‚ะพะปั‡ะตะผ ะฒ ัั‚ัƒะฟะบะต ั ัะพะปัŒัŽ ะธ ะฟะตั€ั†ะตะผ. ะšะพั€ะธั†ัƒ ะธ ะณะฒะพะทะดะธะบัƒ ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั€ะฐะตะผ ะฒ ะดั€ัƒะณะพะน ัั‚ัƒะฟะบะต ะดะพ ัะพัั‚ะพัะฝะธั ั‚ะพะฝะบะพะน ะฟั‹ะปัŒั†ั‹, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปัะตะผ ะฒ ะทะฐะฟั€ะฐะฒะบัƒ.
  4. ะŸะฐั€ัƒ ั„ะธะพะปะตั‚ะพะฒั‹ั… ะปัƒะบะพะฒะธั† ะผะตะปะบะพ ั€ะตะถะตะผ ะธ ั‚ัƒัˆะธะผ ะฒ ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะผ ะผะฐัะปะต ะดะพ ะฟั€ะพะทั€ะฐั‡ะฝะพัั‚ะธ, ะพัั‚ัƒะถะฐะตะผ. ะฅะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฑั‹ ั‚ัƒัˆะธั‚ัŒ ะปัƒะบ ะฒ ะพั€ะตั…ะพะฒะพะผ ะผะฐัะปะต, ะฝะพ ะตัะปะธ ะตะณะพ ะฝะตั‚ โ€“ ะฑะตั€ะธั‚ะต ะบะฐะบะพะต ะปัŽะฑะธั‚ะต.
  5. ะขะตะฟะตั€ัŒ ัะพะตะดะธะฝัะตะผ ะพั€ะตั…ะธ, ะทะฐะฟั€ะฐะฒะบัƒ ัะพ ัะฟะตั†ะธัะผะธ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปัะตะผ ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะพั‚ะฒะฐั€ะฐ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐะตะผ, ั‚ัƒะดะฐ ะถะต โ€“ ะพัั‚ั‹ะฒัˆะธะน ะปัƒะบ ะธ ะปะพะถะบัƒ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะตะณะพ ะฒะธะฝะฝะพะณะพ ัƒะบััƒัะฐ, ะถะตะปะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพ ะบั€ะฐัะฝะพะณะพ. ะšะฐะฟะฐะตะผ ะฝะฐ ะปะฐะดะพะฝัŒ ะธ ะฟั€ะพะฑัƒะตะผ โ€“ ะฒัะต ะปะธ ะฝะฐะผ ะฝั€ะฐะฒะธั‚ัั? ะกะพะปัŒ, ะพัั‚ั€ะพั‚ัƒ ะธ ะบะธัะปะธะฝะบัƒ ั€ะตะณัƒะปะธั€ัƒะตะผ, ะธ ะฒัะต โ€“ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ, ะทะฐะฟั€ะฐะฒะปัั‚ัŒ ั„ะฐัะพะปัŒ, ะฒั‹ะบะปะฐะดั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะตะต ะฝะฐ ะฟะฐั€ัƒ ะบั€ะฐัะธะฒั‹ั… ั‚ะฐั€ะตะปะพะบ, ัƒะบั€ะฐัˆะฐั‚ัŒ, ะบะฐะบ ะฟะพะปะพะถะตะฝะพ, ะทะตั€ะฝะฐะผะธ ะณั€ะฐะฝะฐั‚ะฐ, ะปัƒะบะพะผ ะธะปะธ ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒัŽ ะธ ะฝะตัั‚ะธ ะฝะฐ ัั‚ะพะป.

ย 

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Our Favorite Lobio Videos

Russian celebrity chef Yulia Vysotskaya cooks lobio.

A fairly long and opinionated piece on how to โ€œunderstand the principlesโ€ of lobio.

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About the author

Michael Denner

Michael Denner

Dr. Michael Denner is a professor at Stetsonโ€™s Program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES). A food enthusiast, he is currently translating and adapting a cookbook called ะ›ะพะฑะธะพ, ัะฐั†ะธะฒะธ, ั…ะฐั‡ะฐะฟัƒั€ะธ, ะธะปะธ ะ“ั€ัƒะทะธั ัะพ ะฒะบัƒัะพะผ (Lobio, Satsivi, Khachapuri, or Georgia with Taste) for English-speaking audiences. As part of this project, Dr. Denner is leading a Georgian Cooking Club at Stetson to test the recipies with Stetsonโ€™s diverse student group. Dr. Denner will also be leading Georgian Foodways for SRAS a new, two-week study abroad course that will address topics such as climate change and state agricultural policies within the context of broader issues of food security, the place of food in social justice and ethnic identity, and the role of Georgian foodways in the current global tourism economy.

Program attended: Georgian Foodways

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