Where is Georgia located? From a Western European perspective, the small Caucasus republic is often stereotypically referred to as a country at the far edge of Europe or as a borderland between Europe and Asia. Historically, Georgia lies at the crossroads of ancient cultures, as it was part of the Silk Road and frequently conquered by great powers. Zurich-based author Eva Dietrich is fascinated by so-called border regions, where boundaries are often harder to define and transitions from the familiar to the foreign become visible. She has traveled to the country multiple times and lived for four months in the capital, Tbilisi. A central theme in her stories and observations is the titular "foreign spice," which paradoxically is the most typical spice of the highly praised Georgian cuisine. During her explorations of Tbilisi, the author discovers unexpected neighborhoods such as Africa or Ric.