Glossary

For all those strange words and phrases that
have no easy translation to the English language or to western culture

Hayni Hawru (z): The quintessential Nigerien entree. Millet is pounded, the bran is removed basically leaving millet flour. The flour is mixed with water and and cooked. In the pot it looks a lot like mashed potatoes, but it is much thicker and more likely to stick on the roof of your mouth. This makes it easy to eat with your hands or a spoon if that’s your fancy. It is served with or in a sauce made from Baobab leaves, okra, or meat.

Kudaku (z): A sweet, starchy white fleshed potato that’s delicious fried, seasoned with a Maggi seasoning cube or served with just about anything.

Anasara (z): A rich / white foreigner.  Kids and adults alike often enjoy yelling out the word as you pass by.  It is not really considered a nice word so some volunteers like to respond by yelling back boro bi (black person).  I generally ignore it on the street but let people that I meet in a more direct setting know that it’s not cool.

Kooko (z). Another delicious food made from millet.  It is actually more like a porridge made from pounded millet and spices.  It comes in a variety of styles from hot, smooth, and sweet to cold, lumpy, and tart.

Laban: The brand name of one of many types of drinkable yogurt that come in small plastic bags.  For less than .25 cents you can get 100ml.  They come in banana, strawberry, and orange flavors.