Africa → Mauritania → Nouakchott
🥤 DRINK

Zrig

A refreshing Saharan drink of soured milk whisked with sugar and cut with water, offered to guests and to break the fast.
Mauritanian · easy · serves 4
prep 10 min · cook 0 min
~150 cal · 6g protein · 19g carbs · 6g fat · 0g fiber · 19g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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A wooden bowl of pale, frothy sweetened soured milk drink
AI-generated illustration
Zrig is the everyday drink of the western Sahara, a soured milk beverage of Mauritanian, Western Saharan and Senegalese kitchens made from cultured milk sweetened and thinned with water. In a desert climate it is prized as a refreshment, and it is one of the first things offered to a guest alongside the ritual three cups of mint tea.
Traditionally the milk, cow, goat or camel, is soured over a few hours, strained, and then mixed with sugar and water by rolling it between two bowls until smooth. Regional variants add toasted in the Soninke lands, or a touch of chili near the Malian border.
It is drunk at breakfast, as a thirst-quencher through the heat of the day, and to break the fast at the start of iftar during Ramadan, poured from a carved wooden bowl.
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Make it yours

✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.

Ingredients

Serves 4
  • 3 cups cultured or soured milk (or buttermilk)
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1.5 cups cold water
  • 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

  • 1
    If starting from fresh milk, leave it to sour and thicken at warm room temperature for several hours, then strain; or start from cultured buttermilk.
  • 2
    Whisk the soured milk with the sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  • 3
    Gradually stir in the cold water until it reaches a light, pourable drinking consistency.
    ✎ Chef’s note
    Add the water a little at a time and taste as you go, so the zrig stays tangy rather than watery.
  • 4
    Chill and serve in cups or a bowl, stirring again just before pouring.
Mauritanian Saharan tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination

📍
Nouakchott. Nouakchott is a desert-edge capital where mechoui, whole lamb roasted slowly, marks celebrations. Mauritanian cooking joins Saharan and West African habits in thieboudienne-style fish and rice, camel meat and milk, and sweet mint tea.
🗺️
Mauritania. Mauritanian cuisine reflects Saharan nomad life, spiced rice with fish or meat (thieboudienne-style), grilled lamb, dates, and camel's milk. Couscous and sweet mint tea anchor a desert table of hospitality.
🌍
Africa. Much of what reads as timeless African cooking is younger than the Atlantic crossings. Maize, cassava, groundnut, chilli and tomato all arrived from the Americas after 1500 and pushed older crops aside; millet, sorghum, teff, yam and fonio are the ones that were already here, and the map still shows the join.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.

More from Mauritania

MéchouiWhole lamb (or a shoulder) slow-roasted with cumin and salt until falling off the bone, desert feast food.
LakhSteamed millet couscous under cool sweetened curdled milk and fresh grated coconut, the Sahelian sweet Mauritania makes to mark the end of Ramadan.
Maru wa LahméMeat and vegetables simmered in a mustard-scented broth, then rice cooked in that broth, the generous communal lunch of the Mauritanian table.
Browse all Mauritania recipes →

Good to know

You’ll need: Whisk.
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.

Make it a Mauritania meal

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Frequently asked questions

What is Zrig?

A refreshing Saharan drink of soured milk whisked with sugar and cut with water, offered to guests and to break the fast.

Where does Zrig come from?

Zrig is a Mauritanian dish from Nouakchott, Mauritania.

Can Zrig be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Zrig recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Zrig safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Zrig take to make?

About 10 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 0 minutes cooking), serving 4.

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