Fura, the National Drink

Here Rabi is making fura for me to serve to visitors. This is a very typical drink that you’ll find in any home at anytime. If there’s no fura, then something is wrong. Fura is made with millet or sometimes with sorghum. The grain is pounded to a flour and mixed with water to make a dough. The ball of dough is place in boiling water for 20 minutes then it’s taken out and placed in the large wooden mortar to knead. The next step is to put it in the calabash with water and buttermilk and some spices. A large metal ladle is used to work it out into a liquid. Then it is ready to drink right out of the calabash with a large ladle or just simple pick up the bowl and drink. More water is added as needed. It really is quite tasty!

With my impending departure I thought it would be fun to have fura on hand to serve to people who come to bid me farewell. People in the village have been so kind to me, always serving fura and other foods too. After the harvest when we visit they again show their kindness by giving us some of what they have harvested: millet, peanuts, beans, dried green leaves, & sesame seeds.