By Kirsten Okenwa
I conversed with a friend in the USA for a short course and she shared how delighted she was to have celebrated her first Thanksgiving in the country. She was enthused over the holidays and recounted her food experience at the family dinner she was invited to join. She had visited a Kenyan family and they had the traditional American Thanksgiving cuisine of turkey and all the trimmings, but there were also tureens of delicious native Kenyan foods.
Surprisingly, they also served “Acha”, Fonio in English, which is a traditional food crop in many parts of northern Nigeria and some other West African countries like Burkina Faso, Guinea and Togo. My friend is from Plateau state, Nigeria and she was happy to find her local meal of Acha potage served and enjoyed by her Kenyan hosts. They told her that Fonio was the new super-food and many people in the USA and Caribbean had been introduced to this grain, a smaller kind of millet, imported from West Africa. Food lovers and chefs are preparing Acha (Fonio) with Mexican flavours and Caribbean spices. Others view Acha as medicine and eat it in different ways to prevent health problems like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
I concurred with my friend because I have witnessed Acha’s recent revival across Nigeria and beyond. More and more consumers are enjoying the tastiness and dietary qualities of Acha. Rich in fibre, high in protein, minerals, amino acids, and many other nutrients, Acha is also gluten-free. This nutrient-packed ancient grain is low in calories, making it the favourite for fitness enthusiasts. It has become a trendy go-to meal, especially in the ever-increasing wave of health consciousness in Nigeria and around the world. I have read and watched countless testimonials of people who have benefitted from regular consumption of Acha.
Divers Acha recipes are returning to the dining table, as they are considered best for our bodies. Many people desire to eat clean and live naturally. And for some, eating organic foods like Acha is now fashionable.
Growing up in Kano state, I remember my mother cooking Acha on several occasions. In my young mind, though we enjoyed the meals, I viewed eating Acha as a sign we were low on rice or macaroni. Even at boarding school, we enjoyed Acha with our northern friends, brought to them from home during visiting days; but we never really understood the health benefits. It was just another “Hausa” food to eat. Today, the health and agriculture benefits of Acha are spreading and no surprise that the cost of Acha has suddenly skyrocketed in our Nigerian markets. Formerly known as “Hungry-Man Rice” because it was viewed as a poor man’s rice substitute, Acha is now widely consumed by both the rich and poor.
Acha (Fonio) grown for over 5000 years by West African farmers, is a cereal crop prized for its resilience and minimal water requirements. It has emerged as an important food source in discussions about regenerative and sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions facing water scarcity. Acha is valued for its ability to grow in areas of drought and high temperatures. It is among the world’s fastest-maturing cereals (60-70 days). A very hardy crop, it grows well on poor soils, and can even produce seed on soils that are toxic to other crops. Fonio can grow without fertilizer, pesticide, fungicide and constant irrigation. It is sometimes regarded as the “grain of life” as it provides food early in the farming season when other crops are yet to mature for harvest.
Though Acha is widely cultivated today, very little is known about the grain’s evolution, origin and genetic characteristics, unlike other millets. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has organized several initiatives to highlight the various health, environmental, social and economic benefits of Acha (Fonio), the rich heritage and vast potential of the grain. Using local African chefs, social media influencers, youth and women organizations, the FAO and partners are creating more awareness of this Indigenous crop.
It is pleasing to see the myriad ways Acha is being revived in the food and beverage sector. I watched an American brewer Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, speak highly of his Fonio beer. Garrett’s exploration with fonio in beer making was inspired by Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam. After seeing a TED talk by Thian, Oliver saw the potential to use fonio in a brewing context, to support African communities and farmers. The new fonio beer is doing well in the market and Garrett hopes that by introducing brewers around the world to this brewing ingredient, there will be a wider use of this sustainable grain in beer.
Other entrepreneurs are giving big names to their Acha products. In Jos, Plateau state, a young lady rebranded the humble, native kunun acha, a local nourishing drink made from Acha. She calls her product Acha Latte, and her market is large! Another entrepreneur on social media vends a local cookie that has been a staple munching snack made with Acha but is now sold as a ‘fat-free’, ‘healthy’ and ‘oil-free’ snack called Fonio Crispies.
Whatever the new name of this resilient, nutritious indigenous crop, we are pleased to witness and enjoy the revival of Acha.
Kirsten Okenwa is a writer and Industrial Chemist. She has over 20 years of work in the nonprofit sector. Kirsten is fervent about food systems and agriculture.
