Trend of the week, No. 1 – Fresh Direct celebrates Black entrepreneurs

Throughout February, Black History Month since 1976,”¯FreshDirect”¯has been showcasing its Black-owned vendor partners and their products on the online grocer”™s website. While recognizing the continued contributions of the Black community to the tristate area”™s food culture is a year-round celebration at FreshDirect, Black History Month is a time to share and amplify those contributions and honor the flavors and ingredients indigenous to various regions in Africa: 

• ”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Yolél锯”“ Throughout Western and Central Africa, the word”¯yolél锯is a term of exuberance used to get parties started and people dancing. FreshDirect carries the company”™s chips as well as its flagship product, fonio, which is an ancient, gluten-free African grain that”™s healthy for people and the planet. Fonio is light and fluffy, with a slightly nutty, earthy flavor. This pantry staple, a natural for salads and bowls, supports the company”™s mission to create economic opportunity for small farming communities, bolster regenerative food systems and promote the biodiversity that our planet needs.

• ”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Egunsi Foods”¯”“ This New York-based company embodies the culture of West Africa with its ready-to-heat, grab-and-go soups, sauces and entrées, which can easily be incorporated into daily meals. The soups are made from fresh, whole ingredients, with natural preservatives and no artificial flavors or added colors. A FreshDirect vendor since 2017, Egunsi Foods uses locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible, working with African farms for its spices and grains. The products are 100% vegan, gluten-free and soy-free. 

• ”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Stori Coffee”¯”“ FreshDirect partnered with Stori Coffee in March of 2021 to launch its first retail product ”“ a Rwandan single-origin, Founders Series, whole-bean coffee. Fast forward to 2023 and FreshDirect now carries multiple products, including”¯K-cups”¯and”¯ready-to-drink canned coffee. For more than two decades, the founders of Stori Coffee have been building relationships with the women of Rwanda’s Hingakawa co-op to bring their single-origin coffee to the world. These women came together after their country’s devastating genocide to grow coffee beans in a male-dominated industry, creating a thriving co-op that has received awards for excellence in specialty coffee year after year.