Fonio

Fonio, also sometimes called findi or acha, is an ancient West African grain that has been cultivated for over 5000 years. Fonio comes from two cultivated grasses in the genus Digitaria. The nutritious food with a favorable taste is a vital food source in many rural areas, especially in the Fouta Jalon Highlands in Guinea, but also in Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra leone and Nigeria.  Guinea annually produces the most fonio in the world, accounting for over 75% of the world's production in 2019. The name fonio (borrowed into English from French) is from the Wolof word foño.^[6] In West Africa, the species black fonio (Digitaria iburua) and white fonio (Digitaria exilis) are cultivated; the latter is the economically more important crop.