A meal here is rarely just a meal. The supra — the Georgian feast — turns dinner into an institution, complete with a toastmaster.
Georgian khachapuri, Armenian lavash, Azerbaijani plov — the staples differ, but fresh herbs, walnuts and pomegranate turn up everywhere, tying three cuisines together.
At a supra the toasts are the structure of the evening, each one a small speech. You are not drinking; you are honouring something.
Where these traditions came from: history.