Fonio is Africa's oldest cultivated grain. It matures quickly in one of the poorest and driest soils on the planet. It is also gluten-free and extremely nutritious. So why doesn't it ring a bell, why has it fallen into oblivion?

In this episode, award-winning Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam shares two of his favourite fonio recipes with us and tells us why he has made it his life's mission to make the world fall in love with this “miracle grain".

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

With original reporting by Selly Thiam.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.

Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef.

The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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