Kurt and Sheep’s Milk: A Vanishing Kazakh TraditionCEFR A1
22 Oct 2025
Adapted from Vlast.kz, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Fadhil Abhimantra, Unsplash
- Sheep's milk made many dairy foods.
- Long ago cows were rare in Kazakhstan.
- People later kept more cows.
- A team went to a mountain valley.
- They met grandparents Nesipkhan and Rozikul.
- Rozikul milked a sheep into a metal bucket.
- Elzhas helped catch the sheep.
- Nesipkhan started raising sheep in 1981.
- A season can make about 70kg of kurt.
Difficult words
- butter — A yellow food made from cream.
- cheese — A solid food made from milk.
- snack — A small amount of food eaten between meals.
- tradition — A way of doing things passed down.
- remote — Far away from cities or people.
- healthier — Better for health than something else.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What do you think about making traditional foods?
- Why might some traditions disappear?
- Have you tried sheep's milk products?
- What foods do you like to snack on?
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