If someone says ‘pine tree’ to you during the winter season, your mind will most likely picture it dressed up for Christmas. But Georgians, with their age-old traditions, still do so much more than just sprinkle their pine trees with lights and baubles. Check out the options below, but first- let me introduce the Caucasian Fir. 

The Caucasian Fir (also known as the Nordmann Fir after Alexander von Nordmann, 1803–1866, the Finnish zoologist who “discovered” it) is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 55–61 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. In the Western Caucasus, some specimens have been reported to be up to 80 m. They are found in the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Russian Federation and the continent of Europe. The Caucasus Fir is one of the most important species grown for Christmas trees, with needles that are not sharp and do not drop readily when the tree dries out.

PINE JAM & DUST

Around May-time, Georgian pine grows bright orange soft “cones”. In a gust of wind, the dust from these growths blows into the air. It is the call to all health-conscious parents to get their kids up to the mountain resorts (particularly around Borjomi) to breathe in the curative properties! Those wanting to jar those health benefits pick the soft pine “hearts”, boil them with sugar and serve them with bread-and-butter, or just by the spoon.

PINE TOOTHPASTE

Pine heartwood is antibacterial, antifungal and germ-reducing. Toothpaste with this as an ingredient cleans the teeth thoroughly while also helping to rid and prevent gingivitis. The ingredients of the wood also positively affect the overall oral flora.

CHEWING GUM

This is a “love it or hate it” thing- with many Georgians having grown up in the dark post-Soviet days having this as their only kind of chewing gum (and as such, for them it is a matter of nostalgia to enjoy it). The bitter gum, made out of the resin of the pine tree and dried to solidity which only a time in your mouth can soften, has all the health benefits mentioned above, and gives your jaw a good exercise into the bargain. You can buy it in broken chunks at the roadside in and around Borjomi. To my knowledge, it has yet to be commercialized here.