'Fura' seller benefits from modernising preparation process

Many would not believe that a day would come that a traditional Fulani woman, who carries her calabash full of nono and fura, would use an electronic blender to mash the delicacy instead of the manual method normally used.

It is common sight to see a Fulani woman with her calabash on her head or sitting beside her calabash, selling the popular delicacy called fura da nono.

The nono, which the woman carries in the calabash is a meal for many people in the afternoon.

In many Northern Nigerian cities and villages, fura da nono is also used to welcome visitors at home and even prepared during celebrations like Sallah, weddings and naming ceremonies.

Nono is locally fermented milk with a consistency that is not quite as thick as the popular yoghurt sold at superstores.

While the fura is millet flour moulded into balls. It is usually mashed into the nono just before serving.

The process of mashing involves pouring some quantity of nono into a medium size calabash with the moulded fura and mashing it with a giant spoon.

Sugar is then added at the end before serving.

The tradition of preparing fura da nono is known to have existed for centuries among the Fulani people.

Electronic blendingBinta, a Fulani woman who sells fura da nono in Kaduna State, Nigeria, told PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter how she now uses an electronic blender to mash the fura and nono at any point where she sells her delicacy.

The shy Binta, assisted by her young daughter, said she always has her electronic blender with her and an extension cable which she uses to connect to a power source and blend the delicacy for buyers.

“It is something I do always and I discover that it works for me. I always stay here close to this shop and connect my blender to the shop and sell my delicacy.”

Asked if she still uses the calabash to mash the fura da nono, Binta said, “yes I do that, I have them around me and can do any.”

She also said people patronise her a lot more because it is faster to serve hungry customers when using a blender. “While it will take me a minimum of two to three minutes to mash the fura and nono, with the blender it takes less than a minute to prepare and serve your customer.”

Binta travels 40 kilometres from a village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State to sell fura da nono in the Kaduna metropolis.

The delicacy is popular in major cities, where it is now being sold in shops, with yoghurt or milk mashed with the fura using an electric blender.

While a lot of people buy from the shops, many wait to buy from the local vendors who travel every day from their villages to sell in major towns.