This was great, thanks for writing. I had heard a little of fonio from buying Yolele fonio in the past, but didn’t know much else about the grain. This makes me want to buy it again — eager to try all the recipes you’ve suggested!
I only discovered Fonio in the last year when my flatmate who is from Northen Nigeria made some 😅 seeing that protein % means I’m now adding this to my diet. Thanks for sharing!
This was so interesting. I love trying different grains - it always amazes me how many there are - and this is one I’m not familiar with. I’ll have to see if I can track some down online.
I bet fonio would make a good substitute for the cornmeal in fungi (also called cou cou). The texture looks so similar to cornmeal, it makes me wonder if the dish was originally made with fonio before we brought it with us to the Caribbean and had to use cornmeal under colonial rule.
This is fascinating. I used to work at a non-profit that ran an incubator kitchen, one of the businesses was an Eritrean woman who started a teff-centered business. She was doing very similar work around teff as a naturally gluten free and healthy grain. I love learning about these different crops, and I think reclaiming these place-based, traditional foods is really important to moving to award and healthy and sustainable future. Thank you for this great read!
I am going to look for fonio. I actually haven’t heard of it. I cook with many different grains and I am always looking to expand my culinary knowledge and palate. I have eaten a fair bit of Nigerian cuisine (which is all about sensational flavour)so I am thinking I likely had it before, but was so caught up in the flavours I didn’t take note of the fonio.
I was a young Peace Corps volunteer serving among the Akposso in Togo. I had fonio a number of times. I liked it. There was an earthiness to it that I liked. I did not know that it was special.
I love this article and your blog, and I absolutely like your delicate, thoughtful and competent way of writing. Thank you for allowing us to get a bit more educated about food.
This was great, thanks for writing. I had heard a little of fonio from buying Yolele fonio in the past, but didn’t know much else about the grain. This makes me want to buy it again — eager to try all the recipes you’ve suggested!
I am so glad to hear!
Thank you
I only discovered Fonio in the last year when my flatmate who is from Northen Nigeria made some 😅 seeing that protein % means I’m now adding this to my diet. Thanks for sharing!
This was so interesting. I love trying different grains - it always amazes me how many there are - and this is one I’m not familiar with. I’ll have to see if I can track some down online.
I bet fonio would make a good substitute for the cornmeal in fungi (also called cou cou). The texture looks so similar to cornmeal, it makes me wonder if the dish was originally made with fonio before we brought it with us to the Caribbean and had to use cornmeal under colonial rule.
I can definitely see that! Thanks for sharing
This is fascinating. I used to work at a non-profit that ran an incubator kitchen, one of the businesses was an Eritrean woman who started a teff-centered business. She was doing very similar work around teff as a naturally gluten free and healthy grain. I love learning about these different crops, and I think reclaiming these place-based, traditional foods is really important to moving to award and healthy and sustainable future. Thank you for this great read!
Thanks for sharing! Teff is on my list to further explore
Brilliant writing.
I am going to look for fonio. I actually haven’t heard of it. I cook with many different grains and I am always looking to expand my culinary knowledge and palate. I have eaten a fair bit of Nigerian cuisine (which is all about sensational flavour)so I am thinking I likely had it before, but was so caught up in the flavours I didn’t take note of the fonio.
Excellent piece.
Such happy encounter here on Substack! Subscribed, looking forward to the next installments of your report and sooo curious to taste fonio!
I was a young Peace Corps volunteer serving among the Akposso in Togo. I had fonio a number of times. I liked it. There was an earthiness to it that I liked. I did not know that it was special.
Back in the late 1980s.
I just bought some fonio kits from Yolele and am excited to try it. Thanks for this informative post.
I love this article and your blog, and I absolutely like your delicate, thoughtful and competent way of writing. Thank you for allowing us to get a bit more educated about food.