🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Fulani

The Fulani (Fulɓe) are one of the largest herding peoples of West Africa and the Sahel. Historically many Fulani led a nomadic or semi-nomadic life, and the milk of their zebu cows was the basis of their diet and a measure of well-being; today many Fulani are settled and combine herding with farming.

Fresh milk spoils quickly in the heat, so it is soured in calabashes. Soured milk, known in Nigeria as nono or kindirmo, is often eaten with fura — millet balls. The soft fresh cheese wagashi is curdled with the sap of the leaves of the Calotropis plant; this is the main method, although other plant coagulants such as papaya are also tried. Wagashi is popular in Benin, Nigeria, Ghana and neighbouring countries; it is sometimes coloured red with sorghum juice.

Processing and selling dairy products is traditionally women’s work, and it brings their families a regular income. Researchers note that the quality of market cheese depends heavily on hygiene.