Stewed Cranberry Beans with Fenugreek and Cilantro (Lobio)
Sam A. Harris
PUBLISHED October 21, 2026
On chilly days when the wind whips down from the High Caucasus, nothing satisfies like a steaming bowl of lobio. Georgia’s signature pot of beans—redolent of cilantro, fried onions, and blue fenugreek—comes in a warmed clay urn accompanied by pickled peppers, squeaky-salty sulguni cheese (available at Eastern European groceries), and mchadi for dipping. Many Georgians say the best lobio is made in the highlands of Racha, where locals flavor the beans with the region’s traditional smoked ham. If that sounds like your kind of thing, add a smoked ham hock to the beans in step 2 or fold in 1 cup of chopped smoked ham along with the onions in step 4. Contrary to popular belief, salting beans as they soak makes for more even seasoning. – Meriko Gubeladze
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