Senegalese ‘miracle grain’ could see Sahel prosper
A Senegalese chef is one step closer to turning an ancient grain found in his country — gluten-free and bursting with nutrients and amino acids — into the next trendy superfood.
Pierre Thiam, one of Africa’s best-known chefs, told the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania on Monday night of his dream to see “fonio” turn around the fortunes of the arid Sahel region which stretches just south of the Sahara
The grain is a nutty-tasting cross between couscous and quinoa which has been cultivated on the continent for some 5,000 years.
Thiam said he stumbled across it several years ago in south-eastern Senegal while doing research for a cookbook.
Daniel Lobo
