Fonio

Photo: Chris Paulk

About

Fonio is a type of grain that is rich in amino acids and iron. Has a very high nutritional content for small portion.

Information

Other names: White Fonio, Fundi, Acha, Hungry Rice

Translations: フォニオ法, Le fonio, Фонио, Фоніо, Fonio米, Фонио, Fon

Physical Description

Very small grains, like kernels (almost).

Colors: Beige, white

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Most delicious of all cereal grains. Takes on flavors on foods cooked with it nicely.

Mouthfeel: Very small grain, Can be chewy or soft, Depending on how prepared

Food complements: Sesame, Side dish with meat and poultry

Wine complements: White or red depending on meat compliment

Substitutes: Rice, Grains

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Prepackaged in box, like rice. Hard to find.

Buy fonio here online www.foniocereal.com

Buying: Available online.

Procuring: Grown in tropical regions with seasonal dry periods. Found in light sandy and stony areas.

Preparation and Use

Eay to cook. Can be cooked like rice. Boiled or sauted

Buy fonio here www.foniocereal.com

Cleaning: Purchased ready to use, but can be rinsed with strainer, like rice.

Social/Political

Prepared locally for large gatherings and family celebrations. Guinea produces more than any other West African country.

History: One of the oldest types of grain in Western Africa. Grown in Western Africa, Fonio was very difficult to product efficiently. The small grains are very hard to husk due to the brittle outer layer.

Processing by manual pounding and grinding for hundreds of years, a specialized husking machine was developed in the mid 1990's which reduced the work from 1 hour to 6-7 minutes.