YOLÉLÉ Revolutionary African Foods. Sharing culture & supporting smallholder farmers. Introducing fonio, the ancient West African grain. Established in 2017, Yolélé Foods is a purpose-driven natural food company, and recently launched our first offering to the U.S. marketplace: fonio, an easy-to-cook, ancient African supergrain with three times the protein, fiber and iron of brown rice. Delicate, gluten-free and nutrient-rich, fonio (pronounced phone-yo) has been grown and celebrated across West Africa for thousands of years and is recognized for its easy digestibility and low glycemic index. It is high in methionine and cysteine, two essential amino acids that are deficient in most other major grains – barley, rice and wheat, to name a few. Fonio grows freely in the drought- and famine-prone Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, where hunger levels are higher than in any other place in the world. “Yolélé is committed to improving circumstances in rural African communities while offering new, super nutritious products to American consumers,” says internationally acclaimed chef, cookbook author and leading authority on African cuisine, Pierre Thiam, a Yolélé co-founder, who recently gave a TED Talk on fonio’s transformative potential. “Fonio’s superior nutrition profile, cooking versatility and delicate flavor make it a fantastic addition to the American kitchen. It cooks like couscous, prepares in just 5 minutes, and can be substituted for rice or quinoa in any recipe.” By investing in local farmers, training them in resilient techniques and creating a fair-trade supply chain, Yolélé aims to increase income for local farmers, cultivate healthier soil, create greater economic opportunities and develop stronger communities in Africa. In addition to forging mutually beneficial partnerships with local farms, Yolélé will donate a portion of sales to local community funds, which will provide quality of life services such as electricity, water, and community centers. Yolélé’s fonio is available on Amazon and can be purchased at Whole Foods Harlem (Manhattan, NY), Marlow & Daughter (Brooklyn, NY), and Chicky’s General Store (Brooklyn, NY).