The everyday Circassian soured-milk drink: cultured whole milk, ayran-like, drunk plain or lightly sweetened and served alongside almost every meal.
Shxw (Circassian Soured Milk)
Ingredients
Method
- Bring the milk to a boil, then cool it to lukewarm (about 40–45°C).
- Stir in the spoon of sour milk starter.
- Wrap the vessel to keep it warm and leave it in a warm place 1–2 hours to culture.
- Move it to a cool place to set (not too cold).
- Stir until smooth before serving.
- Drink plain, or sweeten with a little sugar or honey; also good with cornbread or warm 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 |
| honey | фоfo | шъоуshow |
| 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
Shxw: questions
How long does it take to make Shxw?
About 15 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Shxw recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Shxw made of?
The ingredients are: 2 litres whole milk (cow, sheep or goat; goat is prized); 1 tbsp existing sour milk or yogurt, as a starter; sugar or honey (optional).
Is Shxw an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Sweets & Drinks).
Where does this Shxw 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 “Shxw (Circassian Soured Milk)” (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
