{"id":54784,"date":"2020-09-01T01:00:48","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T05:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/?p=54784"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:51:11","slug":"fonio-yolele-gluten-free-ancient-grain-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/fonio-yolele-gluten-free-ancient-grain-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Ancient Grain Fonio, Plus a Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fonio<\/a> is a gluten-free ancient grain that has been farmed in West Africa for thousands of years. In countries like Senegal and Nigeria, it\u2019s a centerpiece of the local cuisines, often appearing alongside stews or folded into porridge-type dishes. Once you get to know fonio’s nutty, rich taste and pleasing, quinoa-like texture, it\u2019s easy to understand why it\u2019s such a beloved, important staple in the areas where it\u2019s cultivated.<\/p>\n

\"Stuffed<\/p>\n

Outside of Africa, fonio remains largely unknown, but Senegalese chef and restaurateur Pierre Thiam has made it his mission to share his culture’s love for the grain with a wider audience. In 2017, after realizing how difficult it was to find consistent, quality sources of fonio on the consumer market, he founded Yol\u00e9l\u00e9<\/a>, a company dedicated to importing directly from smallholder farmers in West Africa.<\/p>\n

\"fonio<\/p>\n

Fonio can be boiled simply the same way you would rice, using two parts water to one part grains, with a little bit of salt and oil. In addition to its uses in traditional African recipes, fonio is a versatile grain that can take the place of any other in protein bowls, salads, and side dishes. And since it\u2019s gluten-free while being rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, it will provide a nutritional boost however you serve it.<\/p>\n

When you buy fonio from Yol\u00e9l\u00e9 on FreshDirect<\/a>, you\u2019ll also be supporting the company\u2019s groundbreaking mission: to create economic opportunity for small farming communities, support regenerative food systems, and promote the biodiversity that our planet needs. Yol\u00e9l\u00e9 works directly with West African farmers to connect them with wider markets and support sustainable agricultural practices. These efforts have helped create a path to financial security for local communities and contributed to the regreening of the area\u2019s landscape.
\nIf you\u2019re looking to start cooking with fonio, we recommend trying Yol\u00e9l\u00e9\u2019s recipe for arugula and fonio salad below. It\u2019s highly versatile, so you can feel free to swap out the ingredients with whatever you\u2019ve got on hand.<\/p>\n

\n

Fonio Salad With Arugula and Feta Recipe<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"fonio<\/p>\n

\nWhat You\u2019ll Need<\/h3>\n

1.5 cups Yol\u00e9l\u00e9 fonio<\/a>, cooked according to package instructions
\n1 clove garlic, minced
\nPinch of ground coriander
\nA small handful of fresh herbs (like mint and\/or parsley)
\n1 medium container of arugula
\nA few thin slices of red onion
\n1 tablespoon pine nuts
\nA handful of crumbled feta
\nSalt and pepper
\nOptional add-ins: sun-dried tomatoes, dried cranberries, sliced pear
\nDijon vinaigrette (see below) or fresh lemon juice and olive oil<\/p>\n

For the Dijon vinaigrette:\u2028<\/strong>
\nZest and juice of a lemon
\nDijon mustard
\nOlive oil
\nSugar
\nSalt
\nPepper<\/p>\n

What To Do:<\/h3>\n

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked fonio, garlic, coriander, herbs, arugula, onion, pine nuts, and feta. Fold in the sliced pear (if using) and either the sun-dried tomatoes or dried cranberries. Season with salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

For the dressing, either whisk together a few squeezes lemon and olive oil, or make a Dijon vinaigrette by combining to taste all of the ingredients.<\/p>\n

Add as much dressing as desired to the salad and toss to distribute evenly.<\/p>\n

Get Yol\u00e9l\u00e9 fonio on FreshDirect<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fonio is a gluten-free ancient grain that has been farmed in West Africa for thousands of years. In countries like Senegal and Nigeria, it\u2019s a centerpiece of the local cuisines, often appearing alongside stews or folded into porridge-type dishes. Once you get to know fonio’s nutty, rich taste and pleasing, quinoa-like texture, it\u2019s easy to understand why it\u2019s such a beloved, important staple in the areas where it\u2019s cultivated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69275,"featured_media":73251,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2743,2736,2737,3302,2732],"tags":[3273,3272,2849],"class_list":["post-54784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-partners","category-dinner-recipes-2","category-lunch-recipes-2","category-pantry","category-recipes","tag-african-cuisine","tag-fonio","tag-recipe"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69275"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54784"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73252,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54784\/revisions\/73252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}