Before heading to the North, i could swear i had never seen a cow being milked talk less of actually drinking real cow milk. You should have seen the excitement on my face when i was about taking “Real Cow Milk” not Processed liquid/powdered milk for the very first time……it was priceless!!!
In the northern part of Nigeria, Furaa da no-no is quite common. it’s simply a combination of fermented cow milk (Locally prepared yogurt) with ground millet mixed with a host of other ingredients and spices. Sold by Fulani women, Nunu “Pronounced No-no” is the Hausa word for fresh cow milk & it’s usually collected early in the morning in calabash bowls before being pasteurized locally. This is done by boiling to a certain level to kill whatever contaminants it might contain. it’s then left to cool and once this happens, the curd separates from the whey. the curd is skimmed off and used in the preparation of local cheese or butter while the milk is left to ferment with its own natural bacteria for some few hours thereby converting it to yogurt.
Searching for the freshest batch |
The Fulani woman mashing the Fura in the No-No |
Drinking Fura da no-no like a pro |
Step 1: In a medium sized bowl, mix the dry flour ingredients and spices together. Make a well in the center and add a little water just enough to act as a binding agent for the dry ingredients. Mold into medium sized balls.
Step 2: In a pot, heat the water for about 7mins and when it starts to Boil, drop the molded balls into the water and leave to boil for about 20 minutes.
Step 3: Transfer the boiled balls from the pot into a mortar and pound thoroughly. Re-mold once more into small balls and sprinkle with corn flour to keep the balls moist
Step 4: To serve, pour the nono into a bowl , Add the balls (mashed) and Sugar to taste. Eat with a spoon.
Take Away 😀 😀 😀 |
30 comments
I find the whole powdered milk thing in West Africa so so strange. In East Africa milk flows everywhere as in liquid milk is all we know you can get it raw or processed. Powdered milk is available but production is very little because there is no demand for it to be honest. The supermarket fridges have rows and rows of fresh milk here in Kenya both processed and fresh milk and we have these vending milk machines that have fresh from the farm milk in some large supermarkets. If you live near a dairy farm you can get it straight from the farm the farmers deliver locally. I had such a hard time with powdered milk when I visited a West African country I resorted to drinking black tea/coffee/hot chocolate the entire time coz that was what they had everyday for breakfast I think it was called Peakmill or Peak or something like that lol. Great post as usual:)
The Price of Ignorance, I was also posted to Bauchi State but redeployed later and was refused to drink it cos a friend convinced me that it was fresh cow milk. The Fulanis couldnt speak English in my local government I was posted to so couldn't explain better. Thanks for the information.
@Kenyan Reader: the problem with these countries you are talking of is electricity and it is gotten far in the northern part of nigeria which is no go area for any serious business man or individual for now. Dobby if you went there of recent i give u hand even abuja is out of reach to me now.
Hello Dobby. Nice Fura da Nono recipe here. It's really very nutritious.
I have some questions I need u to answer concerning ur "Baking without an oven" method.
1. Can it be used for all kinds of baking i.e. cakes, bread, biscuits etc?
2. If yes to above questions, what is the approximate baking time for each kind of baking?
3. Does the pot have to be really very air-tight? U know some pots cover loosely.
4. What's d maximum time to leave my cake to bake for fear of it burning and not collapsing?
I know its quite an article. Thanks for ur help.
lol! I've read this comment time and time again and every single time i do, it cracks me up big time :D. you're right, it's actually known as peak milk and it's made by one of the numerous milk producing companies here in Nigeria. Most people such as myself grew up thinking the canned liquid/ powdered milk was actually the "original" farm fresh cow milk. With this insight you've given it's now very obvious we lack a whole lot of basic things in certain parts of the country but hopefully if more people here could go into farming (which unknown to many is big business after Oil business which is the craze now) i guess things like fresh cow milk wouldn't be Luxury to us any more…..And to think it's actually sold far more expensive than the canned milk :s. Thanks alot Kenyan reader *Hugs* :).
You are welcome nneoma. i did have the same problem too but luckily for me, i went with someone who speaks the language fluently which made things a lot easier. it's really tasty too so anytime you've got the chance, do try it out :).
Hi Anon, Fura is definitely nutritious.
To Answer your questions:
1: Yes it can be used for all kinds of baking including cakes, bread, biscuits e.t.c
2: Since this is an unorthodox method of baking, the baking times aren't specific and could vary depending on several factors i.e the cooker being used, the level of heat e.t.c. For cupcakes though on medium heat it could take about 35-45mins. For cookies, it could take between 15-60mins, for bread, 30mins- over an hour.
3: Yes the pot has to be air tight. this is to prevent the dry heat from escaping especially for cakes and bread.
4: for cupcakes, 30-35mins…for Whole cakes, 45mins-over an hour although this depends on the heat applied.
Nice post. It reminds me of my childhood in Jos. Cheers! 🙂
We have so many nutritious options in Nigerian foods. Cereals with their low glycemic index is best carbohydrate option.
I get where you coming from but they can also produce UHT milk which does not need to be refrigerated we have those here too and they are quite popular in the rural areas where not every home has reliable electricity supply and also purchased by people who may not have a fridge in their homes despite having reliable electricity supply. That's also the milk we buy when we go camping with friends. But I get where you are coming from imagine what Nigeria' economy would be like with reliable electricity…Africa we need to pull up our socks.
Huggs right back at you:) When I was in primary school during the term of the second Kenyan President we had free school milk everyday that is what we children who grew up in his era remember him for we used to call it "Maziwa ya Nyayo" meaning Nyayo's milk lol The cartons were even customized you had a boy's photo on the carton for the boys and a girl on the carton for the girls and we would create a fuss if as a girl you got a carton with a boy on it lol good times:)
That's so true. Thanks for the contribution ma'am 🙂
Wow! you grew up in jos, such a nice place. Thanks matse 😀
Dobbys girl d train is moving, now north tomorrow no one knows it's destination. But I believe it will be a higher ground all d best continue to inspire, passion is an endless adventure.
It sure is moving and I'd say a big Amen to that :D….thanks Amaka 🙂
Wow! That's so cool 🙂 . I wish our president would take a cue from this, that'd be really nice.
Thanks Dobby, great work! I served in Kwara and got to know about Fura there. I got hooked to this drink that im still missing it after leaving the state. The one in Kwara is done in a healthy way. if you find yourself in Ilorin, check out Fura Palace along Government house way.
Good to know there's a place it's sold in kwara. Thanks for the contribution Goodness :).
I heard its very nice. But u need to see the environment they prepare this things very unkept and discouraging. I stay in abj and I see did everyday. The way those Hausa abi Fulani women looks and handles d whole thing is very irritating. York!!! God bless your hard work
I do agree with the fact that Cleanliness and hygiene cannot be overlooked when buying this drink or anything at all but it all depends on the individual selling it and not a whole tribe in general. If the person looks clean and lots of people buy from her without complaints you should actually give it try 😉
Any idea on the number of calories in a glass or say coke bottle? Also is it ideal for certain people – say someone trying to lose weight, and/or someone that is lactose intolerant.
Thanks for your answer
Pls ma, wat is the process of fermenting the raw milk
please where can one buy these, After trying it for the first time at my aunts place, i so crave it every now and then but would like the original one not these ones that are hawked on the road and are watery
The original ones are sold mostly in the north or cow farm. the watery type is made from powdered milk.
Do u mean after making d fura, den I can pound it insyd a youghurt? To make fura d nunu
Can I used the nono for cheese making. Hope it's not ultra-pasteurize
If you get the whole fresh milk straight from the cow, yes you can.
Exactly!
1.pls what do you mean by corn meal,soya bean meal n Guinea corn meal
When you grind dried corn, the powdered form is known as corn meal. Same with the rest.