Nigeria Argungu Festival

Around the World with Millac: Flavors of Spring! Nigeria Argungu Festival

Welcome back for today’s adventure! We will be traveling south-west from Europe to the Atlantic coast of Africa to observe how Nigerians welcome the pleasant spring weather. A massive country known as the “African Giant”, Nigeria is home to a rich variety of cultures and peoples such as the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba majority ethnic groups. Besides these there are also more than 250 minority ethnic groups, each with their own culture and unique trade and cross-cultural contacts. Let’s take a look at the medium-sized city of Argungu in the North-western Kebbi State to see how this Hausa and Zarma majority region prepares for the changing season. Argungu hosts the world’s largest fishing festival in the month of March for four days to highlight the importance of fish and unity in the social fabric of the society.

In the duration of the four days, many cultural activities are held to encourage unity across different populations. Some of the most popular events are musical performances, wrestling matches, craft showcase, boat showcase, and agriculture showcase. The festival culminates in a swimming and fishing contest on the fourth day, the winner is awarded with a hefty sum of money and bragging rights. In the fishing contest, only traditional tools are allowed and it is encouraged to catch the fish solely using hands to show off the best skill. Whoever catches the largest and heaviest fish by the end of the decided time wins several thousand dollars allocated by the local government. It goes without saying that many of the meals around this time also feature fish to give thanks to the bounty of the river. Along with the fish and water of the river, other important bounties of nature which are thanked are the many agricultural products grown in the Kebbi state: groundnuts, cotton, rice, sorghum, millet, cowpeas, and onions. As has been the common trend in all the spring festivals we have explored so far, the people of Argungu take this opportunity to not only come together but also to give their deepest thanks to the nature which enables their livelihood. Let’s check out a popular sweet dish from the northern areas, gullisuwa! The name for this candy roughly translates to “milk puff” and is enjoyed as a street snack by children and adults alike. We are sure that if you prepare this with our Comelle Full Cream Milk Powder, gullisuwa will taste rich and delicious!

Recipe

Gather the following ingredients:

1. Comelle Full Cream Milk Powder, 2 cups
2. Millac Unsalted Butter, 1 tbsp
3. Sugar, ⅓ cup
4. Coconut powder, ¼ cup
5. Comelle Desi Ghee, for deep frying

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the powdered milk with other dry ingredients; sugar and powdered coconut.
2. Whisk well, slowly add water ¼ cup and mix with your hands until the mixture is solid.
3. To avoid a powdery texture, add more water if necessary. The texture should be smooth and adhesive.
4. Now grease your hands with Millac Unsalted Butter and start forming small balls.
5. Once the entire mixture has been divided into small balls, prepare the desi ghee for frying.
6. Fill a medium sized pot about ⅓ full with Comelle Desi Ghee.
7. Warm the ghee on medium heat until it has completely melted and begins to bubble.
8. Now place the gullisuwa in the pot, making sure that they have enough space so they are not sticking to each other.
9. After a few minutes of frying, the color should change to golden brown.
10. Remove the gullisuwa from the pot and place on a large tray with paper towels to drain excess ghee.
11. Repeat steps 8 – 10 if necessary.
12. That’s it, now you have some warm and fluffy gullisuwa to indulge in!