Gurasa is locally made bread in Kano, known in English as Pita and Khubz in Arabic. It was formally adjudged the rich man’s specialty and known to be found on the dining table of the royals and elites in the society. As time goes on and as people begins to invent on the business of Gurasa, Gurasa is no longer the rich man’s food.
Today, it is possible for everyone, irrespective of class, to enjoy Gurasa with other ingredient like Suya, pounded spiced groundnut cake mixed with groundnut oil, tomato, cabbage, onion and sometime with Miyan Taushe or stew. Gurasa is made from plain flour and baked from locally made oval or circle shaped earthenware pots. It is a great source of carbohydrates which provides energy.
One may ask, what is so special about Gurasa that virtually all people of Kano cannot do without? What are the impressions people have about eating Gurasa that have make it their topmost choice? How has Gurasa come to become Kano’s undisputed number one delicacy? However, a cross-sectional interview conducted among the undergraduate students of Bayero University, Kano by this writer produced sufficient answers to these questions.
While most students confessed that they love Gurasa because it is very cheap and affordable, Bilkisu Idris, a level 4 student of Mass communication said, she loves it although she eats it as an alternative
“I love Gurasa. And I eat Gurasa, but not so much. I eat it once in a while, just as alternative”.
On her own, Maryam Bello of Political Science Department admitted she loves Gurasa because it has low fat and added that she “had loved Gurasa right from her childhood”.
To Adamu Isa Jibrin, Gurasa gain wider acceptance because of it cheapness and affordability.
“People love Gurasa because it’s affordable, cheap and it a fast-food”
On her own, Abduljalil Ibrahim of faculty of law said he loves Gurasa because of two reasons.
“Firstly, when you eat Gurasa for lunch, it will sustain you throughout that day, therefore, eating dinner will not be necessary, secondly, it is affordable”
Abduljalil went further to give breakdown on the important of Gurasa when he added that “with your #100 or #50 plus your #5 pure water you will be okay”.
Aisha Ibrahim Aliyu, a student of English education department said, “Although she is not from Kano state, but she fell in love with the delicacy ever since when she came to Kano and she regarded Gurasa as her rice and beans which she belief to be equivalent to balanced diet
“The flour used is carbohydrate, the Suya is protein, the cabbage, tomatoes, onion sliced in the Gurasa are vegetable as such it is a balanced diet food for me” she ended.
Contrary to most people’s perceptions of Gurasa as food, and as the wise man says “one man’s food, is another man’s poison”. Opinion of Bilikisu Ibrahim of geography department with regard to Gurasa delicacy is quite different. Bilikisu said she “don’t really like Gurasa but am forced to eat out of it when I see my friends enjoying it.”
When responding to the question on how Gurasa are made, Malam Muhammad, a Gurasa seller in the new campus of Bayero University, also known as Mamman and Baaba explained the steps involved in making Gurasa and those ingredients that come together that make people enjoying it.
“The Gurasa itself is a mixture of flour salt and water after which you bake it in a circle shaped earthenware pot but for people to enjoy it you will add grounded Kulikuli groundnut oil, Suya, onion and tomato and sometimes cabbage, and each Gurasa is sold at #50 while a stick of Suya is sold at #200, adding that they make #10,000 on a very good day and make #7000 on a not so good day beginning from 12pm to 10pm”.
Therefore, with these responses from students of Bayero University, coupled with the obvious nutritious benefits of Gurasa, it can be concluded that Gurasa as a food had not only became widely accepted dish among people of Kano but also had open an avenue for people to invest as it glaringly, a business opportunity for business minded people.
Next time you visit Kano; do not forget to get a bite of the Kano special snack called Gurasa.
By
Hafsah Garafini Adam,
Department of Mass Communication,
Bayero University, Kano
