Armenians said to 'misappropriate' Georgian brands

In Georgia a lot of people are now discussing a series of publications, in which it is alleged that Armenians in the USA and Europe often misappropriate Georgian brands  , such as khachapuri, churchkhela, shoti and the famous Saperavi wine. According to recently published reports, these traditional Georgian products are sold as Armenian produce.

In fact, this is a remarkable case. In Georgia, national identity is extremely important, and all attempts to dispute Georgia's uniqueness, the uniqueness of its culture and traditions, are often considered outrageous. That's probably the reason for the current row.

Moreover, Armenians do have the right to sell shoti, churchkhela and khachapuri. Shoti, a very tasty kind of bread, is popular not only in Georgia, but all over the Caucasus, and its real motherland is Iran. Churchkhela is also widespread over the region. One may even find analogues in Turkey. And even khachapuri is not a purely Georgian dish.

However, the Georgian public is still discussing the matter, with the row being stoked by the media.

Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for VK