Fonio

Fonio is one of the oldest cultivated cereal grains in Africa, encompassing white fonio, Digitaria exilis, and black fonio, Digitaria iburua, both grown across the West African savanna from Senegal to Chad. The grain is tiny, cooked much like couscous by steaming after washing, and is naturally gluten-free with a light, slightly nutty flavor. Prized for its drought tolerance and its ability to mature in as little as six to eight weeks, fonio has long been a staple in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria and has drawn renewed international attention as a resilient, nutritious ancient grain.