THE INGREDIENT Fonio

An ancient super-grain native to West Africa, Fonio, alongside being tasty, boasts numerous health benefits. Part of the millet family, this grain has been eaten in West Africa for thousands of years but “it’s only now people are taking notice,” says chef Fatmata Binta.

The Sierra Leone-born chef lives in Ghana. She combined her nomadic Fulani roots with her classical training, and founded the Fulani Kitchen Foundation to empower Fulani women. She also showcases the grain in her Dine on a Mat series of supper clubs (dineonamat.com).

She said: “Fonio is something I grew up with. It’s very sustainable – easy to grow, drought-resistant, gluten-free, and it can be harvested within eight to 12 weeks of sowing.”

Its only challenge is processing, says Fatmata. It’s labour-intensive and “proper machines haven’t been invented yet”.

Fatmata credits fonio for her family’s survival. She said: “In my teens, I experienced civil war in Sierra Leone. We moved to Guinea, my ancestral home, into a village that could accommodate 100 people, and we were 500-600 people. Rice couldn’t sustain us – we’d eat a bag in two days.

“My grandmother had to find a way to sustain us, so we farmed fonio. And we survived.”

Fatmata recalls eating fonio in porridge that was made with fresh groundnut or cow’s milk, and having it with groundnut soup or fried with bananas. Now, she has a jollof recipe made with it, too.