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Fermented milk from Niger

Non maí / yami (Niger sour buttermilk)non maí

Non maí or yami is the buttermilk left after churning raw cow's milk into butter in Niger. It is poured into a clean calabash with a little sour milk and left for 24 hours to sour, then keeps for up to 48 hours.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Non maí / yami itself.

Short entryFermented milk24 h

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo fixed amounts are recorded. FAO describes household practice.
ButtermilkLeft after churning raw cow's milk; the milk is not heated[fao-tmp]
Some sour milkAdded as the starter in Niger[fao-tmp]
Startersome sour milk added to the buttermilk

Total time across the recorded steps: 24 h

Start
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What changes: Churning splits raw milk into butter and buttermilk

Step 1 of 3
Churn raw milk and take off the butter
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: butter and buttermilk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Non maí or yami is the buttermilk left after churning raw cow's milk into butter in Niger. It is poured into a clean calabash with a little sour milk and left for 24 hours to sour, then keeps for up to 48 hours. Made in 3 steps over 24 h. The longest step, sour the buttermilk with some sour milk, takes 24 h (FAO 1990).

Key numbers
Main step24 hReported[fao-tmp]Sour the buttermilk with some sour milk

What makes this one different

In the FAO group of sour buttermilks, the Niger product is soured with added sour milk for 24 hours; the Somali garoor sours on its own in about 3 hours.

Related ferments

Safety

Made from raw, unheated milk and kept no more than 48 hours. The CDC says products made from raw milk can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella, with a higher risk of serious illness for children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [fao-tmp] FAO 1990, The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries, Animal Production and Health Paper 85, section II "Acidified milks", group 1.3 (Arrera, Garoor, Non maí Yami)gov
  2. [cdc-raw-milk] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raw milkgov