Fonio

A small-grained African cereal (Digitaria exilis and D. iburua) cultivated in West Africa. One of the oldest African cereals, it is drought-tolerant, gluten-free and quick-cooking, traditionally used for porridges and couscous-like dishes; valued for its nutritional quality and food-security role. Its tiny grains — among the smallest of cereals — cook in minutes and have a nutty, couscous-like texture; parboiling and drying (as for ready-to-cook fonio) eases the laborious traditional dehusking. Rich in methionine and cystine relative to other cereals, it is gaining international attention as a climate-resilient, nutritious ancient grain.