Kano Street Food

5 dishes in Nigeria

5 street foods from Kano, Nigeria: Kilishi, Masa, Fura da Nono, Dan Wake and Balangu. Each one has its own page with the story behind it and what to look for.

Street foods of Kano

Hausa Market · Sun-Dried Jerky Kilishi (Spiced Meat Jerky) It's dried twice: plain sheets of meat are sun-dried first, then coated in the spiced groundnut paste, dried again and finished over a fire, which… Kilishi is thin sheets of beef, sun-dried, then coated in a paste of groundnut, spices and onion, dried again and briefly roasted over a fire until firm and chewy. Kano market vendors… Hausa Breakfast · Rice Fritter Masa (Fermented Rice Cakes) The rice batter has to ferment overnight before cooking — skip that step and the cakes come out dense instead of the light, spongy texture masa is… Masa are small, fluffy rice cakes cooked from a fermented rice batter in a special round-welled pan until golden outside and soft within. They're sold hot at breakfast stalls, often with a… Fulani Drink · Millet & Milk Fura da Nono (Millet Balls in Fermented Milk) The tangy flavor comes from the milk being deliberately left to ferment naturally, not from any added yogurt culture — a preservation method herding… Fura da nono pairs small balls of spiced, cooked millet dough (fura) crumbled into a cup of fermented cow's milk (nono), sold cold from calabash bowls. Fulani women carry it through… Northern Snack · Boiled Dumpling Dan Wake (Bean Flour Dumplings) Despite looking like a solid dumpling, dan wake is entirely boiled with no frying at all — its firm texture comes from potash reacting with the bean… Dan wake is made from cowpea flour mixed with baobab leaf powder (kuka) and a little potash, formed into dumplings, and boiled until firm. It's sliced and served drizzled with groundnut… Hausa Grill · Chunked Beef Balangu (Marinated Grilled Meat) Unlike suya's thin skewered strips, balangu is grilled in thick slabs and only sliced after cooking, giving it a juicier, steak-like bite. Balangu is chunks of beef or mutton marinated in oil and spices, then grilled slowly over an open fire until charred outside and tender within, typically without suya's peanut-based yaji…

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