Fonio
By: Anonymous

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.