Fonio

the tiny, nutty grains of West Africa's oldest cereal steamed light and fluffy like a fine couscous, the celebrated 'hungry rice' of the Sahel, served beneath stews or tossed with vegetables

Origin: Senegal

From the journey of Millet.

Beside pearl millet in the West African Sahel grows fonio (Digitaria exilis), the smallest of all cultivated grains and among the most ancient cereals of Africa, grown in the western savannah from Senegal and Guinea to Mali and Nigeria for thousands of years. The seeds are minuscule, which long made fonio laborious to husk and earned it the name 'hungry rice', the grain that filled the gap before the main harvest; yet it is exceptionally nutritious, quick to grow on the poorest soils, and prized for a delicate, nutty, faintly grassy flavour and a light, fluffy texture when steamed. Across the Sahel fonio is steamed like couscous and served as the base of a meal beneath a rich sauce or stew, folded into salads, or cooked into porridge, and it has long been a grain of honour and ceremony among peoples such as the Dogon, served at weddings and feasts. In recent years fonio has won a new fame far beyond Africa, championed by West African chefs as a gluten-free 'supergrain' and a symbol of the continent's culinary heritage, carrying the ancient grain of the Sahel onto the tables of the world.

Ingredients

The Grain

250 g fonio
500 ml water or light stock
0.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil or butter

Optional

1 small onion, finely diced (optional, for a pilaf)
diced vegetables or herbs, to finish (optional)

Method

Rinse the fonio briefly in a fine sieve under cold water, swirling, then drain well. It cooks in moments, so have everything ready.
For the simplest method, bring the salted water to the boil, stir in the fonio, cover, and take off the heat. Leave to absorb for 5 minutes.
Fluff thoroughly with a fork, breaking up any clumps, and stir through the oil or butter. For an even lighter result, steam the moistened grain over boiling water for 10 minutes instead.
For a fonio pilaf, soften the onion (and any diced vegetables) in the oil first, then add the fonio and water and proceed as above.
Serve hot, beneath a West African stew or sauce, or fold through herbs and vegetables for a salad.

Notes

Fonio (Digitaria exilis), sometimes sold as 'acha' or 'hungry rice', is increasingly available in Western shops thanks to its champions among West African chefs. It cooks much like fine couscous or quinoa and suits both savoury and sweet treatments (with milk, honey, and dates as a porridge). Pre-washed fonio needs only the briefest rinse; rinse traditional fonio more thoroughly to remove any grit.

The Gastrographer

Name: Fonio
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Senegal
Ingredients: 250 g fonio; 500 ml water or light stock; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tbsp oil or butter; 1 small onion, finely diced (optional, for a pilaf); diced vegetables or herbs, to finish (optional)

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control