The short answer
Fura is a traditional northern Nigerian food of spiced balls made from millet, cooked and pounded with spices such as ginger and cloves into a smooth dough and rolled into balls. It is most famously eaten as fura da nono, where the balls are broken up and mashed into nono, a fermented cow's milk, to make a thick, nourishing, refreshing drink or light meal. A staple of the Fulani and Hausa peoples, fura da nono is filling, wholesome and much loved, especially in the heat. Because fura da nono contains dairy, this is worth noting for allergies. In the UK the millet and spices are sold by African food shops.
What to remember
- Fura is spiced balls made from millet, a traditional northern Nigerian food.
- The millet is cooked and pounded with spices like ginger and cloves, then rolled into balls.
- It is most famously eaten as fura da nono, mashed into nono, a fermented cow's milk.
- Fura da nono is a thick, nourishing, refreshing drink or light meal, loved by the Fulani and Hausa.
- The millet and spices are sold by African food shops in the UK; note the dairy in fura da nono.
For northern Nigerians in Britain, and especially the Fulani, fura is a nourishing, nostalgic taste of home. It is the spiced millet balls mashed into cool, tangy nono, the refreshing fura da nono of hot afternoons and long days, the food of a pastoral heritage, the taste that says home. Making fura da nono far from home brings back family calabashes and warm afternoons and the traditions of the north, the warmth of home in every thick, refreshing spoonful.
There is real heritage in it too, in a food born of a herding life, combining the millet of the land and the milk of the cattle into one nourishing whole, carried through generations. It reflects a whole culture of resourceful, wholesome, hospitable food, and to make fura da nono is to keep that alive. Making it for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first taste of spiced millet in tangy milk, is a small act of welcome. That wholesome, refreshing taste of home is the gift of fura.
What is fura?
Fura is a traditional food of northern Nigeria, particularly of the Fulani and Hausa peoples, made from millet. The millet is ground, cooked and pounded together with spices, such as ginger, cloves and sometimes chilli or other seasonings, into a smooth, firm dough, which is then rolled into balls. On their own these fura balls are a portable, filling staple, but they are most famous as one half of the beloved combination fura da nono, sometimes written fura de nunu.
Fura da nono is made by breaking up the fura balls and mashing or stirring them into nono, a naturally fermented, slightly sour cow's milk, to make a thick, creamy, nourishing drink or light meal, often sweetened a little and served cool. The mildly spiced millet and the tangy milk together are refreshing and satisfying, a wonderful food for hot days and long journeys. Fura belongs to the world of Nigerian cooking and drinks we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, and it sits alongside other northern refreshments like kunu and the meats of the north such as suya.
How is fura made and enjoyed?
Making fura begins with millet, which is ground into flour, mixed with spices such as ginger and cloves, and cooked, then pounded, traditionally in a mortar, into a smooth, firm dough. This dough is rolled into round balls, which can be kept and carried, a traditional convenience food for the Fulani, who have long made fura to sustain them. To make fura da nono, the balls are broken into nono, the fermented milk, in a calabash or bowl, and mashed and mixed, sometimes with a little sugar or sweetener and water, until it becomes a thick, drinkable or spoonable blend.
Fura da nono is enjoyed cool as a refreshing, filling drink or light meal, especially valued in the heat and as sustenance through a busy day, and it remains a much loved everyday food across the north. It is nourishing and satisfying, combining grain and milk in one. Because fura da nono contains dairy, in the form of nono, it is not suitable for those with a dairy allergy or intolerance, and the fura balls alone are dairy free. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Wholesome, spiced and refreshing, fura is a treasured northern Nigerian staple.
Fura in northern Nigerian food culture
Fura holds a warm, traditional place in northern Nigerian food culture, above all among the Fulani and Hausa, for whom fura da nono is a cherished everyday food. It reflects a pastoral heritage, the nono coming from cattle and the fura from millet, combined into a nourishing, portable food that has sustained herders and travellers and families for generations. Sold by vendors, made at home and offered to guests, fura da nono is refreshment, sustenance and hospitality together.
Every maker has their own fura, its balance of spice and its texture, and their own nono, but the spiced millet balls mashed into fermented milk are always at the heart of fura da nono. For northern Nigerians, and especially the Fulani, fura da nono is a nostalgic, nourishing taste of home, and for anyone exploring Nigerian food and drink it is a fascinating, wholesome one to discover. This article is general food and cultural information, and fura da nono contains dairy. Wholesome and refreshing, fura is a treasured northern Nigerian classic.
Where to buy the ingredients in the UK
Making fura at home in Britain is very doable, as the key ingredient is sold in African food shops, which stock millet, along with the ginger, cloves and other spices for the dough. Some shops also sell ready-made fura balls, which saves the pounding, so you need only the milk to make fura da nono. For the nono, a naturally soured or fermented milk is traditional, and a plain fermented or cultured milk can stand in, sweetened lightly to taste. Millet and the spices are the main things to gather for the fura itself.
If you want to make fura, an African food shop can point you to the millet and spices, or to ready-made fura balls, and advise on a milk for the nono. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Wholesome, spiced and refreshing, fura, especially as fura da nono, brings a nourishing taste of northern Nigeria to your table, lovely and cooling on a warm day.
Frequently asked questions
What is fura?
Fura is a traditional northern Nigerian food of spiced balls made from millet, which is cooked and pounded with spices such as ginger and cloves into a smooth dough and rolled into balls. It is most famously eaten as fura da nono, where the balls are mashed into nono, a fermented cow's milk, to make a thick, nourishing, refreshing drink or light meal. It is a staple of the Fulani and Hausa peoples.
What is fura da nono?
Fura da nono is the famous combination of fura, the spiced millet balls, mashed and mixed into nono, a naturally fermented, slightly sour cow's milk, to make a thick, creamy, refreshing drink or light meal, often lightly sweetened and served cool. The mildly spiced millet and tangy milk together are nourishing and satisfying. Because it contains nono, fura da nono includes dairy.
How is fura made?
Millet is ground into flour, mixed with spices such as ginger and cloves, cooked, and then pounded, traditionally in a mortar, into a smooth, firm dough, which is rolled into round balls. These fura balls can be kept and carried. To eat as fura da nono, the balls are broken into fermented milk and mashed and mixed, sometimes with a little sweetener and water, into a thick blend.
Does fura contain dairy?
The fura balls themselves, made from millet and spices, are dairy free. However, fura is most often eaten as fura da nono, in which the balls are mixed with nono, a fermented cow's milk, and this does contain dairy. So fura da nono is not suitable for those with a dairy allergy or intolerance, while the plain fura balls are dairy free.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Millet, along with ginger, cloves and other spices, is sold by African food shops, and some also sell ready-made fura balls, so you need only a milk for the nono. A plain fermented or cultured milk can stand in for traditional nono. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the millet and spices that fura needs.
