A climate-resilient ancient grain with Pierre Thiam of Yolélé (2022)
Sep 21, 2023
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Pierre Thiam, a renowned chef and the co-founder of Yolélé, shares his journey from Senegal to New York City. After a fateful robbery shifted his career focus to cooking, he passionately promotes fonio, an ancient, drought-resistant grain. The conversation highlights the grain's incredible sustainability and nutritional benefits, as well as its cultural significance. Thiam discusses the impact of colonization on food systems and emphasizes the importance of empowering local farmers through this unique culinary endeavor.
Fonio, an ancient West African grain, is a climate-resilient and nutrient-dense food source that can address the vulnerability of global food systems.
Yolele overcame the challenge of processing Fonio by developing machinery that increases efficiency and reduces waste, expanding their product line and distribution.
Deep dives
Discovering Fonio: A Nutritious and Resilient Grain
Chef Pierre Chiam, founder of Yolele, discovered Fonio, an ancient West African grain with high protein content and a low glycemic index. Fonio is drought-resistant and requires little water, making it a resilient crop in the face of climate change. Pierre saw the potential of Fonio to bring economic opportunities to local communities in Senegal and to offer a nutritious and versatile grain to the market. With the help of partners, Yolele began producing Fonio products and started distributing to Whole Foods and other stores. The business has expanded to offer Fonio flour, pilafs, and snacks made from Fonio. Despite the challenges of processing Fonio, Yolele has developed machinery that increases efficiency and reduces waste. Through collaborations, social media, and media attention, Yolele is spreading awareness and making Fonio accessible to a wider audience.
Bringing Fonio to the US Market
Pierre and his team worked with Woodlands, an importing company, to bring Fonio to the US market. They formed partnerships with women cooperatives in Senegal to process and supply Fonio. Whole Foods became their first major retail partner, giving Yolele a chance to introduce Fonio to customers. Pierre conducted cooking demos at Whole Foods, and as awareness and demand grew, more Whole Foods locations started carrying Yolele's Fonio products. The company then expanded its distribution to other retail stores and online platforms. To create further awareness, Yolele collaborated with influencers and used social media to showcase the versatility and benefits of Fonio.
Overcoming Processing Challenges and Expanding Product Line
Processing Fonio was a challenge due to its inedible hull. Traditionally, Fonio was processed using a mortar and pestle, resulting in inefficiency and waste. Yolele addressed this issue by collaborating with a company specializing in milling equipment. They developed a machine that revolutionized the processing of Fonio, reducing waste and increasing productivity. With this improved processing method, Yolele expanded its product line to include Fonio flour and chips, catering to different consumer preferences. The company's products are now available in thousands of stores across the US, including Whole Foods and Target, and their platforms of Instagram and TikTok have helped to increase awareness of Fonio.
Spreading the Word and Building a Community
Yolele initially focused on creating awareness and demand for Fonio through cooking demos at Whole Foods and building relationships with local communities. They leveraged the heritage aspect of Fonio to connect with the African diaspora and utilized social media to reach other communities interested in nutritious and gluten-free products. Yolele also collaborated with brands that shared their mission of introducing diverse and sustainable food products. The company's restaurant, Taranga, in New York served Fonio-based dishes, further spreading the word and allowing customers to experience the grain firsthand. Through organic growth and media attention, Yolele is making Fonio more widely known and accepted in the market.
Pierre Thiam is a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to fonio, an ancient West African grain built for climate change.
But it hasn't been all sunshine and good harvests for Pierre. In fact, he was robbed just days after he first arrived in New York City from Senegal.
It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course.
This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work circulating fonio, a nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems.
This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.
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