Fonio

Digitaria exilis, D. iburua

grain

Tiny grains of a West African grass, barely 1.5 mm, gluten-free, which cook in a few minutes like couscous; a hulled cereal, like barley and rice. It provides fibre and arabinoxylans.

Origin

Sahel (West Africa)

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

Rinsed several times to wash out the sand, it cooks in three to five minutes, steamed or in twice its volume of water, like couscous; it is then fluffed with a fork. Soaking, sprouting or sourdough bring its phytates down — and release the zinc and iron they were holding.

Molecules

Resistant starch RS1 · Arabinoxylans · Insoluble fibersWhat slows things down Phytates

Did you know?

It takes 2,000 grains to make a gram; for the Dogon people, fonio was the symbol of all farming.