A rich breakfast porridge of soured cream and Adyghe cheese set with cornmeal or semolina and egg: spoonable when hot, sliceable when cool, served with cold ayran.
Zhamuko (Cheese & Cornmeal Porridge)
Ingredients
Method
- Warm the soured cream in a pot over low heat: do not let it boil.
- Break in the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Stirring constantly, rain in the cornmeal or semolina in a thin stream.
- Cook gently 10–15 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
- Stir in the grated or crumbled cheese until melted through.
- Add salt near the end.
- Serve hot (spoonable) with cold ayran; leftovers set firm and can be cut into pieces.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| cheese | кхъуейqkhwey | къуаеqwae |
| 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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Zhamuko: questions
How long does it take to make Zhamuko?
About 30 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Zhamuko recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Zhamuko made of?
The ingredients are: 500 g soured cream; 200 g fresh Adyghe cheese (plus a little smoked cheese, optional); 2 eggs; 4 tbsp fine cornmeal or semolina; salt; cold ayran, to serve.
Is Zhamuko an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Cheese & Dairy).
Where does this Zhamuko 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 “Zhamuko (Cheese & Cornmeal Porridge)” (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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