The Circassian staple that stands in for bread: a very stiff millet or cornmeal porridge, cut into firm slabs and eaten hot or cold with almost everything.
Paste (Millet & Corn Grits)
Ingredients
Method
- Bring the salted water to a boil.
- Rain in the cornmeal (and millet) in a thin stream, whisking hard so no lumps form.
- Lower the heat and stir constantly with a wooden spatula 15–20 minutes until very thick and pulling from the pan.
- When a spoon stands up in it, it is ready.
- Tip onto a wet board or plate and smooth into a slab about 3 cm thick.
- Let it set a few minutes, then cut into squares or diamonds. Serve with shchips, cheese or stew.
Wet your knife and hands so the hot paste does not stick when you cut and shape it.
This is the recipe from the Recipes section of the Circassian app, where you can also scale it and save it to your favourites.
Kitchen words in Circassian
The words for what is in this dish, in Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), with audio from the Circassian app’s lessons and audio course.
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| water | псыpsy | псыpsə |
| salt | шыгъуshyghu | щыгъуshchəghu |
| food | шхынshkhyn | шхыныshkhənə |
| delicious | IэфI'ef' | IэшIу'eshIu |
| This is delicious! | Мыр IэфIщ!Myr 'ef'shch! | Мыр IэшIу!Myr 'esh'u! |
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Paste: questions
How long does it take to make Paste?
About 30 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Paste recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Paste made of?
The ingredients are: 1 cup fine cornmeal (or millet flour); 1 cup fine millet groats (optional, for texture); 4 cups water; 1 tsp salt.
Is Paste an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Breads & Grains).
Where does this Paste recipe come from?
From the Recipes section of the Circassian app. The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
Sources
- Circassian app, Recipes section, recipe “Paste (Millet & Corn Grits)” (recipe data last changed July 2026). The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
- Circassian app: audio course, Kabardian and Adyghe (the kitchen words: cheese, meat, milk, bread, tea, water, food, delicious), and the lessons’ vocabulary (chicken, salt, butter, honey).
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