What Is Nono? The Fulani Fermented Milk Explained
Nono is the tangy fermented cow's milk of the Fulani and Hausa, drunk plain, sweetened or over fura. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Nono is a traditional fermented cow's milk of the Fulani and Hausa peoples of northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel, tangy and slightly sour, a little like a thin drinking yoghurt. It is made by leaving fresh milk to ferment naturally, and it is drunk plain, sweetened with a little sugar, or poured over fura, the spiced millet balls, to make the much loved fura da nono. As a dairy drink it is cooling and nourishing, especially welcome in the heat. In the UK you can find nono and the fura to serve with it at African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Nono is fermented cow's milk from the Fulani and Hausa of northern Nigeria and the Sahel.
- It is tangy and slightly sour, similar to a thin drinking yoghurt.
- It is drunk plain, sweetened, or poured over fura to make fura da nono.
- As a dairy product it is not suitable for anyone avoiding milk.
- It is cooling, refreshing and a staple of northern Nigerian life.
A cup of nono, cool and tangy, or a gourd of fura da nono shared on a hot afternoon, is a taste that carries northern Nigeria with it. It is the flavour of market days and roadside stops, of Fulani herds and Hausa homes, an ordinary refreshment that means comfort and belonging. Reaching for nono far from home is reaching for that familiar sourness that always meant a moment's rest and a full stomach.
There is quiet heritage in it, in the milk of the herds carried down through the generations and in the simple pairing of fura and nono that so many grew up on. To find nono in Britain is to keep that tradition close, and to share a cup of fura da nono with a friend is to pass it on. That cooling, tangy taste of home is the quiet gift of nono.
What Nono Actually Is
Nono is fermented cow's milk, the everyday dairy drink of the Fulani and Hausa communities of northern Nigeria and across the Sahel. Fresh milk is left to sour and thicken through natural fermentation, which gives nono its gentle tang and its soft, pourable body, somewhere between a thin yoghurt and a cultured buttermilk. The colour is a creamy white, and the taste is clean and pleasantly sour, mild rather than sharp.
For the Fulani, who have herded cattle across the region for centuries, milk is central to daily life, and nono is one of its most familiar forms. It sits at the heart of northern Nigerian cooking and is part of the broader story of Nigerian food. Because it is a raw or lightly handled dairy product, freshness matters, and traditionally it is enjoyed soon after it is made.
How Nono Is Made and Drunk
Nono is made simply, by allowing fresh cow's milk to ferment until it turns tangy and thickens. Some of the cream may be skimmed off to make butter or oil, leaving the soured milk behind as nono. The result is a refreshing drink that is enjoyed in several ways: plain, sweetened with a spoonful of sugar, or, most famously, combined with fura.
Fura da nono is the classic pairing, where fura, balls of cooked and pounded millet flavoured with spices, are broken up and stirred into the nono, sometimes with a little sugar, to make a filling drink that is almost a meal in itself. It is sold by street vendors and carried in gourds and flasks, a portable, sustaining refreshment for a hot day or a long journey. Whether taken alone or as fura da nono, it is prized as a cooling, satisfying drink.
Why Nono Matters in Northern Nigeria
Nono is more than a drink, it is a thread of Fulani and Hausa culture, tied to cattle herding, to the land, and to a way of life built around milk. In markets and roadsides across the north it is an everyday sight, poured from gourds and shared as fura da nono, and it carries the flavour of home for people from the region. It is nourishing and affordable, a natural source of refreshment where the days are long and hot.
It also speaks to the pastoral heritage of the Sahel, where the herds and the milk they give have shaped meals and traditions for generations. Nono and fura together are among the most recognisable foods of northern Nigeria, and for many they are inseparable from memories of family, of market days and of the wide open savanna. To drink nono is to taste that heritage.
Where to Buy Nono in the UK
Because nono is a fresh dairy product, in Britain it is found at African food shops that serve northern Nigerian and wider West African customers, alongside the fura you need to make fura da nono. Some shops stock nono itself where a chilled supply allows, while others sell the fura balls and the ingredients so you can prepare the pairing at home. As nono is a milk product, it is not suitable for anyone who is lactose intolerant or avoiding dairy.
If you want the real thing, an African food shop serving Hausa or Fulani customers is the natural place to look for nono and fura, and often a helpful pointer on how to serve them. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby. Poured over fura and lightly sweetened, nono brings the cooling, tangy taste of the northern Nigerian savanna to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is nono?
Nono is a traditional fermented cow's milk of the Fulani and Hausa peoples of northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel, tangy and slightly sour, a little like a thin drinking yoghurt. It is made by leaving fresh milk to ferment naturally, and it is drunk plain, sweetened, or poured over fura to make fura da nono.
What does nono taste like?
Nono is tangy and gently sour, clean and refreshing, with a soft, pourable body between a thin yoghurt and a cultured buttermilk. The flavour is mild rather than sharp, and it is often lightened with a little sugar. Cool from the pot, it is prized as a cooling drink in the heat.
How is nono drunk?
Nono is enjoyed plain, sweetened with a spoonful of sugar, or, most famously, combined with fura to make fura da nono, where spiced millet balls are broken up and stirred into the milk. It is sold by street vendors in gourds and flasks and taken as a refreshing, sustaining drink on a hot day or a long journey.
Is nono dairy?
Yes, nono is fermented cow's milk, so it is a dairy product and is not suitable for anyone who is lactose intolerant or avoiding milk. Because it is fresh and lightly handled, it is best kept chilled and enjoyed soon after it is made. The fura it is served with is made from millet and is dairy-free on its own.
Where can I buy nono in the UK?
Nono is a fresh dairy product, so African food shops serving northern Nigerian and West African customers are the place to look, along with the fura to make fura da nono. Some stock nono where a chilled supply allows, while others sell the fura and ingredients to prepare it at home. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.
