它可能需要几天的时间穿越崎rough的地形和数小时的费力处理，以获取一盘Fonio，这是非洲本地人的相对不知名的谷物，具有令人印象深刻的营养证书，在各种应用程序中都可以使用，并且非常可持续性，并且非常可持续。
但是在2020年，Terra成分计划将这种谷物带到世界其他地区。凭借新的最先进的加工厂即将在西非塞内加尔开设，并在北达科他州为其提供巴氏杀菌和质量控制厂，Fonio的年度出口可能是数千吨，Terra Infredients，董事彼得·卡尔森（Peter Carlson）告诉食物潜水。
Terra is a leader in ingredients made from organic and non-GMO grains, pulses and other plants. It has state-of-the art processing facilities in the United States, and a presence on six continents. Carlson said once he learned about fonio, the decision to bring the grain to other parts of the world was easy.
"It became very obvious that nobody could do it like we can," he said. "...We couldn't not get in the fonio market."
Fonio has never been formally cultivated. Carlson said the crop hasn't even been bred to propagate desirable characteristics, such as plants with stronger stalks that don't droop when the grain is ripe.
它在非洲的萨赫勒地区生长，这是一条腰带，位于撒哈拉沙漠以南的大陆和萨凡纳北部的北部，从大西洋延伸到红海。尽管该地区确实包括一些大城市，但卡尔森说，由于塞内加尔沿海达喀尔等地，Fonio非常困难，因为它成长了。
“很明显，没有人能像我们一样做到这一点。……我们无法进入Fonio市场。”
Peter Carlson
Terra成分的董事
谷物营养丰富可口，味道略带浓郁。卡尔森说，它可以制作出极佳的无麸质面粉，可用于许多烘焙应用。它也可以像蒸粗麦粉或藜麦一样自己食用。
“我想我继续回味道因为that's what we hear from so many people, about how exciting the actual taste is," Carlson said. "In some ways, the non-gluten market — it's not a niche market, of course, it's huge — but a lot of those things are compromise products, if you will. Fonio is not a compromise product. ... It works well for the gluten-free diet, but it's also for people who are eating gluten as well. It fits for that taste."
Fonio也是纤维，蛋白质，氨基酸，B族维生素，锌和镁的良好来源。卡尔森说，住在福尼奥（Fonio）的村庄的人们在生病时要吃谷物。
In addition, the grain is a sustainable crop. It does well without fertilizer and pesticides. And, given its native area, can grow well without much water.
Fonio checks all of the boxes for what today's consumers want in food. It's exotic, tasty, gluten free and nutritious. But it's also notoriously difficult to process and export, which is why more consumers haven't heard of it. Currently, only a few small companies export fonio to be sold abroad. And the grain they sell is quite pricey. Yolélé Foods, the company most closely associated with fonio now,在亚马逊上以$ 19.95的价格出售三个10盎司的谷物。。
Terra Ingredients will be able to change fonio's relative obscurity and high price point, Carlson said. The company is in the unique position to have the expertise to process the grain to meet demand worldwide, he told Food Dive.
该公司花了12个月的时间在他所说的“研发噩梦”上创造了一种机械化的方法来处理Fonio。谷物是如此的小，以至于除去船体时倾向于捡起一块沙子 - 谷物并不比沙子本身大得多。卡尔森说，摆脱沙子并保持谷物是最大的挑战之一。
Terra Ingredients eventually built a plant in Dakar, Senegal to remove the grain's hulls and separate out the sand. After being initially processed at this plant, the grain will be shipped to a Terra Ingredients plant in North Dakota for metal detection and final pasteurization — the same certified quality control processes the company's other ingredients already undergo.
不过，非洲加工厂尚未启动和运行与Fonio合作的Terra商品交易员Malick Diedhiou在一封电子邮件中告诉Food Dive，预计本月将开始运营。
“我们与之交谈的每个人都想了解更多有关它的信息，并想开始一些研发。现在，可能有10家公司很高兴能在创建配方时尽快推出产品。”
Peter Carlson
Terra成分的董事
Once Terra exports its first fonio, there are many CPG companies who are waiting to get their hands on it, Carlson said. Reaction among manufacturers to the impending availability of large quantities of high-quality fonio has been extremely enthusiastic.
"Everybody we talk to wants to learn more about it and wants to start some R&D," he said. "... Right now, there's probably like 10 companies that are excited to launch a product with it as soon as they create their formulations."
但是，异国情调的谷物有些冰雹，因为“下一个藜麦”还有另一个方面。由于它是在极端偏远的社区中种植的，因此该成分的商业化对成长的成分具有很大的直接影响。卡尔森说，Terra成分正在与三个村庄合作，以获取其Fonio。尽管到目前为止，该公司仅处理相对较少的数量，但是当生产扩展时，这些社区将获得收益。
Terra Ingredients also been working with a women's co-op to process some fonio by hand. To fill a single container, about 90 women worked full-time for two weeks. And while the fonio soon will not be processed by hand, Carlson said these women will stay on as vital parts of the company. They will be working with growers, maintaining quality control, and doing some of the processing work.
卡尔森说，该公司期待将Fonio带入世界。
他说：“坦率地说，我们的事情是我们对当地农民社区，环境和可持续性元素的双赢，然后是……在这里意识到健康的消费者。”“这让我们非常兴奋。”
