Nigeria: Elegant Kanuri Women Carrying Fura de Nunu - Local Yoghurt

Photo Credit: SitiTalkBlog

Three beautiful Kanuri women: one a "natural model", the other really shy and the other simply friendly; all three carrying their Fura de Nunu calabashes.

What is Fura de nunu?

"Fura de nunu (fermented milk and millet mix - Local Yoghurt) is a highly nutritious beverage which is a two-in-one product, consisting of cereal, “ Fura made from millet grains and nunu a fermented milk product (with acid taste) similar to yogurt. Depending on the consistency, the product is used as food, refreshing drink and a weaning food for infants. The mixture of fermented milk and cooked spiced millet (fura de nunu) is almost a complete food with milk serving as a source of protein while cooked spiced millet provides energy. The sour taste is known to be particularly suited for quenching thirst and dousing the hot effect of spicy foods. It,however, does not appeal to majority of the people because of the apparent unhygienic conditions in which it is prepared, and its poor shelf life.

Nunu is a delicious and refreshing beverage that evolved empirically some centuries ago by allowing milk to sour at warm temperature . The fermentation occurs spontaneously without starter cultures at ambient temperature. The fermented milk is then churned using a wooden ladle. Fat accumulates as a result of the churning and is removed. Excess whey is drained off to obtain a product with a thick consistency which is the nunu, consumed alone or with fura. Fermented milk contains probiotics which are live microbial food supplements that benefits the health of consumers by maintaining or improving their intestinal microbial balance. Lactic acid bacteria in fermented milk break down lactose into glucose and galactose in the intestine by synthesizing the enzyme lactase. People with lactose intolerance can consume fermented milk product because of its lower lactose content and availability of live probiotics."

Information Source: http://www.thegoldenliving.com/2015/06/fura-de-nunu-local-yoghurt.html

Health Benefits of Fura ( Millet): Read More.

Kanuri people

Read more about the Kanuri of Northern Nigeria