Name: 【TED】Pierre Thiam: A forgotten ancient grain that could help Africa prosper (A forgotten ancient grain that could help Africa prosper | Pierre Thiam)
Uploaded: 2017-09-27T16:06:10.000Z
Duration: 15 min 35 s
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Basic passive voice

and through a combination of accidents and cosmic justice,

I began working in these restaurants -- different types of restaurants --

New York was already well-established as a food capital of the world.

with the exception of a few West African and Ethiopian mom-and-pop eateries,

there was no such thing as African cuisine in the entire city.

I was influenced by Senegal's first president,

in which all cultures would come together around a communal table as equals,

each bringing its own beautiful contribution to share.

He called it "the rendezvous of giving and receiving."

I yearned for my work to have a deeper impact

that would go beyond the last meal I had served.

I wanted to give back, both to New York --

the city that allowed me the opportunity to follow my calling --

but also to my origins and ancestors in Senegal.

I wanted to contribute to that universal civilization

But I didn't know how to make a measurable impact

I often traveled to different regions of Senegal for research.

in the remote, southeast region of Kédougou

I rediscovered an ancient grain called fonio

that had all but disappeared from the urban Senegalese diet.

It turns out that fonio had been cultivated

and is probably the oldest cultivated cereal in Africa.

Once a popular grain on much of the continent,

fonio was grown all the way to ancient Egypt,

where archaeologists found grains inside pyramids' burial grounds.

Today it is mostly cultivated in the western part of the Sahel region,

The Sahel region is that semiarid area south of the Sahara desert

that extends from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east.

that was deemed worth taking to the afterlife by early Egyptians.

there was always some myth, or some superstition connected to it.

the entire universe sprouted from a seed of fonio.

Aside from its purported mystical properties,

fonio is a miracle grain in many aspects.

particularly rich in methionine and cysteine,

two amino acids that are deficient in most other major grains:

fonio cultivation is great for the environment.

what first struck me was its delicate taste and its versatility.

fonio has a delicious, nutty and earthy flavor.

or simply as a substitute for any other grains in your favorite recipes.

I am happy to share some of my fonio sushi and sweet potato sushi

Located at the border with Guinea and Mali,

Kédougou first strikes visitors with its stunning vistas

and views of the Fouta Djallon Mountains.

Sadly, it is also one of the poorest regions of Senegal.

Because of desertification and lack of job prospects,

much of Kédougou's young population has left.

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【TED】Pierre Thiam: A forgotten ancient grain that could help Africa prosper (A forgotten ancient grain that could help Africa prosper | Pierre Thiam)

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