| Country: | Georgia |
| Region: | Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Central Asia |
Chicken tabaka (Georgian: წიწილა ტაბაკა tsitsila tabaka) or chicken tapaka (Georgian: წიწილა ტაფაკა tsitsila tapaka) is a traditional Georgian[1] [2] [3] dish of a pan-fried chicken which is also popular in other Caucasian cuisines.[4] It also became a common restaurant dish in the Soviet cuisine and is found nowadays in many restaurants throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The chicken is fried in a traditional frying pan called tapa (Georgian: ტაფა).[5] For frying thoroughly, the chicken is flattened out on the pan and pressed by a weight. In modern cookery, special pan sets with a heavy cover or with a screw press are often used.
Chicken tabaka is often seasoned with garlic or dressed with traditional Georgian sauces, such as bazhe, satsivi or tkemali.