12 Recipes of Adyghe Cuisine
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To my grandmother
Aklima Barieva
© Inga Kazancheva, 2025
ISBN 978-5-0067-6829-1
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Introduction
In the childhood memories of every good cook, there’s a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot, and a mom.
Barbara CostikyanThank you for choosing this book. You are invited on a culinary journey through the North Caucasus! On the pages of this book, you will find step-by-step instructions and information on how to prepare and serve the top-rated Adyghe dishes. The book also includes the lessons of the famous Adyghe chef Boris Kubatiev, my grandmother’s wise tips, Adyghe proverbs, and food stories of the Adyghe people. I hope the book 12 Recipes of Adyghe Cuisine will be interesting and useful to you.
Before I move on to the main content, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the North Caucasian groups – Circassians, Kabardians and Adygeans – refer to themselves as Adyghe. The surrounding peoples, however, call them Circassians. Therefore, Adyghe cuisine is often called Circassian.
The Success Formula
“You must know the work you do every day professionally,” said Ai Mo, the speaker from Canada, and paused. An audience of 300 people waited for his speech to continue. Suddenly, he asked, “How many of you cook every day?” For the participants in the seminar, this question was unexpected. Almost everyone raised their hands.
“And how many of you studied cooking?” Ai Mo himself raised his hand. Only one woman and I followed suit. The speaker looked around the audience. “Cooking is a science,” he said. “Everyone who cooks every day must have the appropriate knowledge and skills. The health of a family depends on the knowledge of the cook. Before becoming a chef in your own kitchen, you need to learn cooking.”
I remembered this success formula taught by the Canadian business coach Ai Mo. When I want to learn something new, I look for the best teachers. Often the first – and sometimes the only – teachers are books. And these books can lead to true masters of the craft. That’s exactly what happened to me. I wanted to know how diet affects health, so I read books about it. These books led me to study the traditional cuisine of my people, who are famous for their health, longevity, and beauty.
The Unique School
The first – and so far, the only – Adyghe Culinary School was founded in 1994 in Nalchik, the capital of the North Caucasian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, by the Kabardian chef Boris Kubatiev. For several years, he traveled to the villages and cities of the North Caucasus, where the Adyghe people live, studying and collecting traditional recipes from Adyghe cuisine.
The Adyghe Culinary School worked for eight years and over the years the famous chef has taught only 52 students. Boris Kubatiev taught no more than four students at a time. “A larger number of students will negatively affect the quality of practical classes,” he said.
After Boris Kubatiev closed his school, he published two books containing more than 800 recipes of Adyghe (Circassian) cuisine.
I came to the Culinary School “Kubati” later than the other students. “You’ve come at the right time,” he said. “You haven’t missed the most important thing. Next week, we start practical classes. So far, the students have only written down the recipes, but that’s not enough to learn how to cook. The only thing that matters is what you learn to do with your own hands.”
The teacher asked us to call him just by his first name. In Russian, it is customary to address teachers by their first name and patronymic. But in the Kabardino-Circassian language, being called by first name alone is a polite way of addressing people, including teachers. The chef followed the rules of the Kabardino-Circassian language, and that made him different from other teachers.
The Distance between Dreams
and Reality is Called Discipline
Boris prioritized a clean and organized kitchen for food safety and quality control. He said that only a disciplined person can become a good cook. The teacher demanded that we have a starched chef’s hat, an ironed apron, and a change of shoes.
My daughter Ingret was four years old at that time. She wanted to attend classes with me, and the teacher did not mind. Boris called Ingret Babitsa. He found joy in feeding her: “Eat, eat, my little Babitsa!” My daughter liked this Adyghe name for little girls that “Grandpa Boris” gave her.
The Idea of Taking Notes
Before starting the practical classes, the teacher warned us: “If you don’t often cook the traditional dishes, you will forget the cooking methods over time.” At that moment, I decided to take notes to retain more detailed information. My goal was to capture my learning experience in my journal.
These detailed notes helped me later, at any time and step by step, to recreate the methods of cooking traditional Adyghe dishes and to improve my cooking skills over time. The starting point for this book was the idea my daughter Ingret had – that Adyghe recipes could inspire both chefs and home cooks.
I gave myself time to read over my learning notes and to think about how this information could help others discover more ideas for comfort cooking and learn more about the Adyghe people. I am very grateful to Ingret for motivating me to create my own cookbook in English.
I decided to write a book to share the culture of the Adyghe people with the help of their cuisine. It is an honor for me to introduce you to the centuries-old Adyghe cuisine, which is a rarity in the Western world. Enjoy the cuisine that you might otherwise never encounter.
From the Stories about Hodja:
What Can You Do without a Recipe?
Once a famous chef treated Hodja to fried liver. Hodja liked the dish so much that he asked the chef for the recipe and wrote it down on a piece of paper. Then he bought two pounds of fresh liver and went home.
Suddenly, a big bird snatched the meat out of Hodja’s hand and flew away. “You can have the liver, but I have the recipe! And what can you do without a recipe?” shouted Hodja.
A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.
Thomas KellerChapter 1. Adyghe Supper for the German Friends
Happiness comes with a guest.
Adyghe proverbIn 1985, as a university student, I visited the German Democratic Republic. The Kabardino-Balkarian State University sent me to Dresden as an interpreter for a student construction team from Nalchik. The best students from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Mozambique, the Soviet Union, and the German Democratic Republic gathered at the international camp “Raduga”.
At the holiday called “Day of Nations”, our team performed the aristocratic Adyghe dance “Kafa”. Everyone liked not only the traditional dance and clothing, but also the Adyghe etiquette – a code of values known as the “Adyghe Khabze”: respect for elders and women, honor, hospitality.
That evening we decided to surprise the camp leaders Frank and Ralph with Adyghe dishes as well. Our German friends accepted our invitation with enthusiasm.
Boiled chicken with sauce is a classic dish of Adyghe cuisine. We were sure that this hearty dish would make a pleasant impression on our new friends.
No sooner said than done! The table was set at 6 p.m., and our friends were also on time.
While Ralph, the main leader of the camp, tried to eat with a fork and knife, as formal dining etiquette requires, Frank, the cultural leader, showed more ingenuity.
“Can I eat it with my fingers?” he asked.
“Yes, of course! It’s a common practice in our culture. We eat boiled chicken with our hands,” I replied.
Frank put aside the cutlery and enjoyed his meal while Ralph spent the evening trying to separate meat from the bones with a fork and knife. But both Ralph and Frank could not resist the wonderful sauce, and they used the pasta to soak it up.
Boiled Chicken with Sauce or Djedlibzhe
There are several methods for preparing boiled chicken with sauce (in the Kabardino-Circassian language ‘djedlibzhe’). However, I’d like to share the classic version that I learned from Boris Kubatiev. If you follow this recipe step by step, you can surprise your guests with a new dish.
This dish consists of two parts: the boiled chicken and the sauce (‘shyps’ in the Kabardino-Circassian language). First, you need to cook the chicken.
Boiled Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken, cut into piecesWaterGarlic – 1 headSalt – to tastePreparation
Rinse the chicken pieces well, put them in a large pot, add cold water until the meat is covered and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Remove the foam and let the meat cook until it is almost tender.
Crush the garlic cloves with salt in a mortar until the garlic is very fine. The teacher did it only with a wooden pestle in a wooden mortar. Add half of the garlic to the boiling broth, cover the pot and finish cooking the chicken over low heat. Remove the pot from the heat, strain the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a deep bowl. Strain the broth.
Add some skimmed broth to the remaining garlic, stir well, then pour this mixture over the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl and shake it firmly, but gently. “It is important to soak each piece in the mixture, but make sure that the meat doesn’t fall apart during shaking,” explained the teacher.
Tip
As Boris Kubatiev used to say, “People who wash their dishes immediately after use can cook without helpers.” A good habit indeed!
Sauce (Shyps)
Ingredients
Onion – 1 headClarified butter – 50 gWheat flour (or corn flour) – 50 gChicken broth – 500 gSalt – to tasteGround red pepper – to tastePaprika powder – to tastePreparation
Chop the onion very finely. Heat clarified butter in a dry pan. Add the chopped onion and roast it, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, until fragrant. It will take less than one minute. Add wheat or corn flour to thicken the sauce. Fry, stirring continuously for a couple more minutes. Season with pepper. Then add paprika powder and keep stirring for another one minute. Paprika powder adds a pleasant flavor, a delicate taste, and a beautiful color to the sauce.
To avoid lumps, add the chicken broth gradually and stir vigorously between each addition. Cook the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. Make sure that the onions in the sauce become transparent. “The Adyghe shyps should be thick and the onions translucent,” explained the chef.
Tip
Adyghe shyps tastes better when you cook it in a cast-iron pan.
Serving
Djedlibzhe consists of boiled chicken and sauce. It is served with warm pasta, which you can prepare using the recipe in the next chapter.
Serve all dishes simultaneously but in separate containers. Place the chicken on one plate, the warm pasta on another plate, and pour the shyps into a shallow bowl. And now break off a bite-sized piece of pasta with your fingers and then dip it in the sauce. Mmm… The taste is divine! Enjoy it as a delicious accompaniment to the chicken. A five-star recipe for sure!
From the Stories about Hodja:
I’m not Tired
One day Hodja was a guest in another village. Nobody offered him anything to eat, but the people asked him many questions. “Hodja, why do people yawn?” was one of the questions. “There are two reasons: one of them is tiredness, the other is hunger,” replied Hodja. Then he yawned for a while and added: “I’m not tired.”
Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people get together to eat.
Guy FieriChapter 2. A Grain of Joy
Salt and pasta deserve respect.
Adyghe proverbAnyone who hears the word ‘pasta’ automatically thinks of Italian cuisine. However, the Adyghe people also have pasta. It replaces bread in their diet. They pair it with a wide variety of dishes. The unique Adyghe pasta is made from millet.
Millet is one of the world’s oldest cultivated grains. It has been consumed by humans for thousands of years. People ate small millet grains for its health benefits. In the Middle Ages, millet was called the ‘grain of joy’ because it could help with depression.
Since ancient times, millet has been highly valued by the Adyghe people. Murat Umetov, a doctor and professor at the Kabardino-Balkarian State University, explains the secrets of Adyghe longevity through the prism of centuries-old traditions. Dr. Umetov is convinced that, along with applying the principles of the Adyghe moral and legal code “Adyghe Khabze”, physical activity, traditional clothing, and nutrition play an important role in longevity. The traditional diet of the Adyghe people is characterized by moderation, balance, low salt intake, and using natural products. The basis of the Adyghe diet is millet pasta.
In Russian culture, guests are greeted with bread and salt. Instead of the Russian expression “to share bread and salt”, Adyghe people say “to share salt and pasta”. The tradition of sharing salt and pasta is a gesture of welcome and hospitality. The Adyghe people call salt and pasta any food. A simple way to express gratitude for a meal is: “May your salt and pasta multiply.”
The Adyghe people are very hospitable. They want to make their guests feel comfortable. The host tries to feed the guests to their heart’s content. And it might be fair to say that the best recipes are recipes from Grandma’s kitchen, especially millet pasta! The Adyghe pasta is a culinary heritage, a cultural symbol that reflects the history and traditions of the Adyghe people.
What is so great about pasta? Let me show you how to do it!
Millet Pasta
Ingredients
Millet – 100 gWater – 500 gPreparation
Pour water into a cast-iron pot and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, place the millet in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear, then rinse it with boiling water. Add your millet to the pot with boiling water. Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula. Cook the millet uncovered for a few minutes to skim off the foam. Then reduce the heat and simmer it covered for about 10—15 minutes.
Make sure that the millet becomes very tender. Once it is tender and there is some water that has not been absorbed, mix and stir it vigorously, scraping the bottom of the pot, so the grains do not stick to the bottom.
Allow the millet to absorb any remaining water, stirring and fluffing it with a wooden spatula. Fluffing releases excess moisture and prevents your millet pasta from becoming sticky. A poorly made pasta sticks to the palate, and you can feel the grains while chewing. A well-made one melts in your mouth. Continue to fry until your pasta is dry and leaves the sides of the pot. If you are happy with its taste and consistency, remove the pot from the heat.
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