India, July 30 -- On my first day in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, I was captivated by the vibrant sight of jewel-toned, knobbly candies strung like beads in hues of brown, red, and deep purple. Hanging from every market stall, they resembled waxy candles-or sausages. My local guide, Nino, explained that these were not candlesticks as I had imagined, but churchkhela-Georgia's version of trail mix or energy bars, made from grapes, nuts, and flour. Churchkhela was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.

Walnuts, which grow abundantly in backyard trees across the country, are a staple in Georgian cuisine-used in sauces, stews, dips, and spice blends. Grape vines too, crawl across the courtyards of old houses in T...