A Nigerian Entrepreneur Is Turning Local Crops Into Gluten-Free Pasta, Here Is How

Renee Chuks, a trained chef, started experimenting with making pasta from cassava in her Lagos kitchen during a national lockdown in Nigeria in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. She uses locally grown crops like cassava and plantain to produce hand-made pasta infused with herbs, which she now sells via her company, Aldente Africa, set up two years ago. The country is one of the world’s biggest producers of cassava, a root vegetable rich in minerals and Vitamin C, and Chuks believes Africa should make more use of its locally grown crops to help improve food security on the continent. She also uses plantain and fonio, a small grain crop grown in West Africa, which she infuses with local herbs and vegetables, giving some of her pasta a green or pinkish tint. Wheat-based pasta is a staple food in Nigeria and Chuks sees plenty of room for growth in the market for her alternative products, which she sells online and in health shops.