Ingush cuisine
Dough-based dishes are also very common in Ingushetia. For example, the popular flatbreads chepalgash are made from thin kefir dough with a filling of potatoes, cottage cheese, or cheese mixed with herbs. Another type is khingalash — thin, half-round pies filled with pumpkin and brushed with melted butter.
Wild garlic (cheremsha) is widely used in Ingush cuisine. It often replaces appetizers, side dishes, and salads. It can be boiled, fried, stewed, or pickled, and is added to both meat and fish dishes.
Hovla (halva) is a traditional dessert of the national cuisine. It is mostly prepared for holidays, as the process is quite labor-intensive. It includes corn or wheat flour, melted butter, and sugar, with optional additions of nuts and raisins.
А
Айра
Ayra
Fruit marshmallow
Амасти
Amasti
Oat porridge prepared with fermented milk
Б
Балаш
Balash
Barley bread with pumpkin seeds.
БерхIа
Berkha
A sauce made from broth, mashed potatoes, eggs, fried onions and carrots with spices.
Бетта-мажарг
Betta-mazharg
Baked curd tart with cheese and cinnamon
Батта чкъаьра
Batta chkara
Stuffed fish
Божилг
Bozhilg
Unleavened white bread made from barley flour in the form of a thin triangular flatbread
Борц
Borts
Millet
БӀар
Bar
Beef intestine sausage
Г
Галинг
Galing
Sheep's cheese
Д
Даттараш
Dattarash
A lamb stew, sometimes made with beef, including offal and mixed with vegetables and spices, topped with grated Ingush cheese before serving. Traditionally cooked in a cast-iron pan over hot coals.
Дила
Dila
Meat boullion
Дулх-хьалтӀам
Dulkh-khaltam
A dish made from meat (most often lamb) boiled over a wood fire and served with separately cooked boat-shaped dumplings made of corn flour. It is accompanied by a hot sauce called berkha (see above).
Думий
Dumiy
Air-dried and smoked lamb fat tail flavored with thyme.
Даьттах
Dattakh
Corn porridge with cream
Е
Ета шура
Eta shura
Sour milk
Ж
Жувр
Zhuvr
Corn flour
Жувра хьалтIамаш
Zhuvra khaltamash
Sweet halva made from corn flour.
З
Зоакаш
Zoakash
Traditional crispy fried pastry dusted with powdered sugar, known as “angel wings".
Й
Йий
Yiy
Beer
К
Кондр
Kondr
Thyme
Устаг1ан корта
Ustakhan korta
Sheep's head
Котама берхIа
Kotama berkha
A sauce made from chicken broth, milk, egg, onion and pepper
Кх
Кхарза дулх
Kharza dulkh
Roasted neat.
Кхеш
Khesh
Bean soup with meat and thyme.
Кхорий цу
Khoriy tsu
Flour made from roasted wild forest pears, mixed with corn or barley.
Кхотор
Khotor
Pies filled with meat or cheese, with thyme and basil.
Кхункхаш
Khunkhash
A dish made from beans, cornmeal and cottage cheese.
КӀ
КӀай берхIа
Khay berkha
White sauce with walnuts.
КӀо
Kho
Porridge made from cottage cheese and corn flour.
КӀодар
Khodar
Cottage cheese with melted butter and eggs.
КӀома берхIа
Khoma berkha
Spicy sauce made from garlic and wild garlic roots.
Л
Лок
Lok
Sediment after melting oil.
Локъамаш
Lokamash
Pancakes.
М
Марш
Marsh
A type of sausage.
Масхам
Maskham
A refreshing sweet-and-sour drink made from fermented cornmeal mash with the addition of malt.
Медза – малар
Medza-malar
Mead, traditionally served as a refreshing drink.
Мерза дуга
Merza duga
Sweet pilaf with raisins fried in melted butter.
Мерзамаькх
Merzama
Sweet pie with cottage cheese or honey.
Мистам
Mistam
A type of churek (flatbread) that is softer and fluffier than the usual dense version, with a slightly sour taste due to being made with sourdough.
Миста худар
Mista khudar
Fermented oatmeal with the solids removed.
Мукх
Mukh
Barley
Мухь теха сискал
Mukh teha siskal
Churek (flatbread) stuffed with animal fat or sheep's tail.
Н
Нитташ
Nittash
Nettle soup.
О
Ольг
Olg
White bread in the form of a thick round flatbread made from wheat flour. Traditionally baked over hot coals. High-grade wheat flour is used to make the bread soft, fluffy, and light in color.
С
Саьмазкъ
Smazkh
Icecream made from whole milk and honey.
Сискал
Siskal
Unleavened flatbread
Т
Топаш
Topash
Corn sausages baked on coals.
ТӀоа-берхIа
Toa-berkha
Sour cream and cottage cheese sauce.
У
Устаг1ан накха
Ustagan nakha
Lamb breast
Х
Хингалаш
Khingalash
Thin half-moon flatbread with pumpkin filling.
Худар
Khudar
Porridge with milk, seasoned with cottage cheese.
Х1уп оала худар
Khup oala khu
A porridge-like traditional dish. The dough is kneaded as for noodles, cut into strips, coated with flour, and boiled in milk while stirring. The thick, uneven mixture is then topped with salted cottage cheese and dressed with melted butter.
Хь
ХьалтIамаш
Khaltamash
Corn porridge
Хьовла
Khyovla
Khalva made from corn or wheat flour.
Хьонк
Khyonk
Soup made from wild garlic, milk and melted butter.
Ц
Цхьалха къаракъ
Tskhala karak
Single-distillation moonshine.
Цу
Tsu
Roasted and ground barley or corn
ЦӀ
ЦIалх
Tsalkh
Sour cherry plum seasoning
Ч
Чорпа
Chorpa
The broth in which the dumplings were cooked.
ЧхьагIар
Chkharkhar
Wine made from grapes, apples or cherries
ЧӀ
ЧӀаьпилг
Chapilg
Чапилг - Thin flatbreads made from wheat flour, baked over open fire, filled with cottage cheese or potatoes, and brushed with melted butter.
ЧIаьпилгаш (коартол / кIолд / нахча / безамабуц)
Chapilgash/koartol/kold/nakhcha/bezamabuts
Flatbreads made from thin kefir dough filled with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, or cheese mixed with herbs.
Ш
Шолха къаракъ
Sholkha karak
Double-distilled moonshine.
Шу
Shu
Wild garlic boiled in milk and fried in melted butter.
Э
Элг
Elg
Cinnamon gingerbread.
Эсти
Esti
Cornelian cherry
Thanks to Elena Sonina, Acting Head of the Tourism Department of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Ingushetia, for her assistance.
Photo: Vladimir Petrov and Dmitry Sadov from the book "Ingush Cuisine"