Akamu

A smooth fermented cereal pap from West Africa, also called ogi, made by steeping maize, millet or sorghum, wet-milling the softened grain and fermenting the slurry before cooking it into a porridge. Lactic fermentation lowers the pH — improving safety by discouraging pathogens — and improves digestibility and B-vitamin content, which is why akamu is a classic weaning food across the region. It exemplifies indigenous fermentation as infant nutrition strategy: simple equipment, no refrigeration, yet a safer, more nutritious staple for the most vulnerable eaters.