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Nono

Also known as Nono (Fresh Fulani Fermented Milk)

Nono is the most important single food in the Fulani dietary tradition — fresh cow's milk, naturally fermented by wild lactic acid bacteria from the milk itself and the environment, into a slightly thick, pleasantly sour, deeply nourishing dairy drink. The Fulani women (mai-nono) who sell Nono at Northern Nigerian markets are a defining image of Northern Nigerian food culture — carrying their calabash containers of fresh Nono on their heads, selling to buyers who collect it i

Nono, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 big glasses of the freshest available whole cow's milk — raw, unpasteurised milk produces the most authentic Nono through natural fermentation
  • Half a glass of previously made Nono or plain yoghurt — as the fermentation starter
  • Sugar or honey to taste — optional, Nono is traditionally consumed unsweetened or very lightly sweetened

Method

  1. 01

    Warming the Milk. Warm the fresh milk to just above body temperature — test on the inside of your wrist. It should feel comfortably warm, not hot. This temperature activates the fermentation bacteria.

  2. 02

    Adding the Starter. Add the Nono starter or plain yoghurt to the warmed milk. Stir very gently — just enough to distribute the starter without breaking it up excessively.

  3. 03

    Fermentation. Cover with a clean cloth — not a sealed lid. Leave at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. The fermentation is complete when the milk has thickened slightly and has a pleasant, mild sourness. In warm Nigerian temperatures, fermentation completes in 8 hours. In cooler diaspora kitchens, it may take up to 16 hours.

  4. 04

    Sweetening and Serving. Stir the fermented Nono gently. Add sugar or honey to taste if desired. Serve cold in calabash bowls or glasses.

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