Brick tea boiled long, then milk, salt, butter and pepper: a savoury breakfast tea taken with cheese and lakum.
Qalmyq Shey (Salted Milk Tea)
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the tea in the water 10 minutes, then let it stand a few minutes.
- Strain and return the tea to the pan.
- Pour in the milk and bring back to a simmer.
- Add the salt, butter and a pinch of black pepper.
- Simmer gently 5 minutes so it turns creamy.
- Serve hot at breakfast with cheese and lakum.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| milk | шэshe | щэshche |
| butter | тхъуцынэtkhwutsyne | тхъуtkhu |
| tea | шейshey | щайshchay |
| 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! |
More sweets & drinks
Free on iPhone & Android
53 Circassian recipes in your pocket
Every recipe in English, Russian and Turkish, with a servings scaler, plus short Kabardian and Adyghe lessons.
4.9 on the App Store 50,000+ people in 100+ countries
Qalmyq Shey: questions
How long does it take to make Qalmyq Shey?
About 25 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Qalmyq Shey recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Qalmyq Shey made of?
The ingredients are: 4 cups water; 2 tbsp brick or black tea; 3 cups milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp butter; black pepper to taste.
Is Qalmyq Shey an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Sweets & Drinks).
Where does this Qalmyq Shey 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 “Qalmyq Shey (Salted Milk Tea)” (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).
53 Circassian recipes in one app
Circassian chicken, Adyghe cheese, haliva and 50 more, in English, Russian and Turkish, with servings you can scale. Plus short lessons in Kabardian or Adyghe.
Download free50,000+ people in 100+ countries
