Amid the scorching sun and extreme weather patterns of Maiduguri, a quiet crisis is unfolding behind the imposing gates of the Shehu of Borno’s palace.
It is not a political upheaval or security threat but a battle to save a culinary masterpiece – ndalayi – from slipping into extinction.
Also known as buri mairi, which translates to ‘royal food,’ ndalayi is a deeply revered delicacy crafted exclusively for the palates of kings, queens and the royal bloodline of the ancient Kanem-Borno Empire.
For generations, its rich aroma has symbolised authority, serving as the centerpiece of royal weddings, esteemed guests and auspicious palace gatherings.
Today, however, this emblem of Kanuri cultural identity is on the verge of extinction. Modernity, changing dietary habits and the grueling, expensive nature of its preparation have left ndalayi fighting for survival.
Inside Shehu’s palace
Inside the Shehu’s palace in the heart of Maiduguri, the mood is somber. Courtiers, cooks and elders speak of the delicacy with a mixture of reverence and heartbreak.
‘We were excited to talk about the uniqueness of ndalayi, mirroring the pride and dignity of Shehu’s court but saddened by the decline it faces on Kanuri tables,’ Zanna Kawaskema, the chief protocol officer of Shehu’s palace said.
Kawaskema attributed the dish’s fading presence to a broader erosion of traditional culture and global dietary shift, compounded by the rigorous demands of cooking it. Yet, he said the royal family would never let it disappear from the palace.
‘Every Shehu respects this food. It is the food prepare for their royal visitors and entertain kings and chiefs on visit to the palace.
‘Please tell readers that this glossy meal mirrors the pride, style and uniqueness of the Kanem-Borno Empire. We hold it in high esteem,’ Kawaskema said.
He said the preservation of ndalayi was further complicated by the loss of traditional knowledge, noting that as veteran royal cooks pass away, their talents often go with them.
He, however, warned against substandard imitations cropping up online, which compromise the quality and historical integrity of the dish.
To save ndalayi, Kawaskema believes the revival must begin in the home, urging men to encourage their spouses to learn the art of making the dish and incorporate it into domestic menus, at least once a month.
‘Rice is not our food, but it is everywhere. Why? Let our mothers teach their daughters how to cook it so that the tradition will blossom.
‘I cannot imagine a royal matrimonial home without tuwon ndalayi, denderu and others. For me, it is actually downgrading,’ he noted.
Preparing ndalayi is not for the faint-hearted. Jero Baye, one of the few remaining palace cooks born into the specialised culinary families, guards the closely held recipe jealously.
‘I cannot disclose the recipe and process of cooking Shehu’s food. It is disrespectful. I will not do that unless by his permission,’ she said.
However, just a stone’s throw from the palace, Hauwa Tijjani, popularly known as Gambo, operates a commercial service keeping the tradition alive.
Having spent over 40 years cooking ndalayi, Tijjani explained that the process is as tedious as it is time-consuming.
‘Mainly, ndalayi relies on two local ingredients: millet and oil. But transforming them into the delicacy is a rigorous task.
‘It takes me a minimum of 10 days to produce it. It is essentially about soaking the millet in water for six days, grinding it, sieving it and drying it under the sun,’ she explained.
Preparing ndalayi may sound excessively demanding and expensive, but those who have tasted it understand immediately why it is deemed a luxurious royal food.
She said soaking the millet would allow microbes to work on it and change its structure into some white flour that would be turned into something delicious.
‘After the sun-drying, a finely milled white flour would be produced to create the tender, delicate ndalayi.
‘It is prepared into a thick, smooth swallow (similar to tuwo) by mixing the powder into some boiling water and stirring constantly to prevent lumps until it becomes thick,’ she explained.
Looking at a plate of ndalayi, one would hardly believe that it started as a ground-millet liquid that is worked on by microbes, decomposed and turned into a soft, classy food.
According to Gambo, ndalayi is best paired with fresh okra (manguka), dried okra (ngaji massary3), kuka (baobab leaf) soup or ogbono.
She also regretted that this royal recipe is on the verge of extinction, but added: ‘But now, my family and two other families who inherited cooking ndalayi are trying to revive the culture of making and eating it.
‘What fascinates me is that even some elderly Kanuri women today have no idea of how ndalayi is made. This royal food was abandoned due to the rigorous process of making it.’
Ndalayi alien to young men, women in Maiduguri
In Maiduguri today, even amongst the Kanuri, the custodians of the culture, some young men and women said they only heard of the name but never tasted the food.
More fascinating is that some young Kanuri women interviewed said they had tasted tuwon ndalayi but had no idea of how the delicacy is made.
For those who have tasted this royal food, including this reporter, it is a smooth, slippery, slightly sour and unique mirror-glaze dough that sticks with the eater forever.
Encircled by a tray full of steaming, slippery ndalayi, Usman Inusa smiled as he dipped a morsel into a bowl of okra soup.
‘The experience is unmatched. With okra soup, ndalayi is very smooth and delightful to swallow. It digests quicker and much more easily than known foods with high fiber content.
‘Unlike other foods (swallow) like semovita, eva and tuwon masara, when I take a large quantity of ndalayi, I don’t experience constipation,’ he said.
Today, the original recipe is only prepared in a small enclave within Shehuri, the historic royal quarters surrounding the Shehu of Borno’s palace.
Here, the culinary legacy lives on through the protegé of the late Shehu’s cooks, attracting buyers who are willing to cover a long distance across Maiduguri for a taste.
‘Ndalayi is going extinct. It is not easy to find a place where the original recipe is being prepared in Maiduguri. Only here in Shehuri can one find the original taste that will take you back to 40 years of memories.
‘It’s not easy to prepare it at home due to the cost and the rigorous procedures. That is why it is only the royalty, and lately, the rich people who are cooking it in their homes occasionally.
‘I want to assure you that in a family of eight, one must spend over N10,000 to cook ndalayi. Even if you have the money, getting an expert who knows how to cook it is a problem,’ he said.
Asked about the taste and nutrients that ndalayi provides, he said, ‘Unless you taste it, one can’t explain the feeling. But it has no match. I can’t think of any food to compare it with.’
Bamai Shehuri, who lives in a different area with his wife and children, said he always ran to his cooks’ family at Shehuri, where they cook ndalayi and sell for a living, adding that making it takes a very tedious process.
‘It takes days and involves many people to accomplish it. You have to pay the people at every step for their services, and at the end, a little white powder will be removed from a large quantity of millet grains (ndalayi flour) we use in making the swallow,’ he said.
He said they used to get a lot of patronage from people patronising them during Ramadan fast and ceremonies for the affluent, adding: ‘It is quite delicious. Our family – men and women – used to come together to cook it.’
A customer who covered a long distance from Gomari to patronise ndalayi sellers at the Shehu palace said, ‘I didn’t know when I finished one plate and licked the remaining soup.
‘I met elderly people who enjoyed it better than us. It is very delicious. You can’t compare it with any ‘swallow’ because it is well cooked, slippery, shiny and beautiful to see,’ he noted.
Health value
While the culinary and cultural appeal of ndalayi is undeniable, modern science offers a perspective on its health value.
Aisha Kolo, a nutritionist at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), noted that the rigorous process required to produce the fine flour would take away crucial components of the grain.
‘The chaff contains a lot of nutrients; therefore, removing it means leaving mostly carbohydrates and a small amount of nutrients.
‘Millet contains a small amount of protein and zero amount of fat, with a lot of carbohydrates. It is always better to eat the millet chaff,’ Kolo explained.
For the people of Borno, keeping ndalayi alive is much more than preserving a recipe. It is an act of cultural heritage conservation, a fight to safeguard the flavours of their history before the echoes of tradition are lost forever.