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A sprinkle of salt can unlock a world of flavor, and N/UM artisanal African salts’ co-founders, Kudzai Bingepinge and Awa Kone are using this culinary essential to spark conversations about African cuisine and challenge preconceptions.
United by their shared passion for food, Bingepinge and Kone, former colleagues in the financial industry who met in Zurich, Switzerland, forged a new path together.
The Birth of N/UM Artisanal African Salts
Over the years, Kone became Bingepinge’s enthusiastic collaborator, lending her taste buds to his innovative culinary creations. Fueled by their love of food and a desire to celebrate their heritage, they embarked on a meaningful project: highlighting the vibrant flavors of the Motherland.
While Bingepinge brings his culinary expertise to N/UM, Kone, the brand’s marketing mastermind, focuses on building brand awareness, elevating product quality, and educating consumers about African innovation in the luxury food space.
Together, they’ve focused on creating a delectable, diaspora-driven product – N/UM artisanal African salts – to educate and intrigue the world.
The duo passed on the more obvious (and localized) choice of opening a restaurant. Instead, they honed their sights on a product people everywhere could use.
From there, Bingepinge and Kone switched their focus from African spice blends like Moroccan ras el hanout and Ethiopian berbere to an offering decidedly from Africa — salt — which is most importantly organic, sustainable and traceable.
“Traceability is key,” Kone explains. “For us to tell the story of N/UM, we need to trace the history of the salt back to its source.” The brand’s chief executive officer emphasizes the importance of meticulous sourcing to ensure both product quality and historical authenticity.
She continues, “Working with local businesses in Africa was important to us. We don’t want to be one of those companies that goes to Africa, gets the raw materials, and then does everything here in the USA.”
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Tasting Africa’s Rich Culinary Heritage
N/UM, launched in the summer of 2023, invites food and beverage lovers to discover Africa’s diverse and often-overlooked gastronomy through their unique African salt blends, regarded as some of the “purest and most flavorful” in the world according to their website.
The partners believe the essence of N/UM, captured in its name, reflects the value they pour into every single grain of salt. The name, signifying “potent healing energy” in the Khoisan language, directly connects the product to its source – the rich culinary heritage of Africa.
N/UM’s African salts are sourced in Africa, including the Makgadikgadi region in Botswana, where it’s believed humanity began its migration.
Curiously enough, Bingepinge and Kone acknowledge the need to educate and convince people on the ground in Africa, a little more than in the United States of America, to help them understand why it’s important for Africans to be part of every step of the process and believe in their global vision.
Kone recalls overcoming the difficulties of ironing out the supply chain process to get the products into the United States of America. The Chicago-based entrepreneur advises new business owners to be clear about their unique vision to best articulate it to stakeholders, suppliers, and consumers alike.
“Some people will never understand,” she affirms. “They’ll never be part of the journey, and that’s fine.” In that case, the CEO recommends aligning yourself with those who wholeheartedly support your mission.
Admittedly on the consumer side, it took less convincing than anticipated due to two factors: 1) curiosity regarding the flavor and trying something new no matter where it is from and 2) conscious consumers attracted to the storytelling and values of a company.
Kone also recalls spending a significant amount of time collaborating with open-minded talent willing to go on the journey with Bingepinge and herself and translate what they were conveying into beautiful visual representations, from choosing the name and colors of the brand to deciding on a logo—all while incorporating the culture.
“We were very stubborn about the design from the logo to the tubes being done by African designers in Africa,” affirms Kone. The process was arduous, but it resulted in a brand and products the founders are proud to usher into the world.
How N/UM Ensures Fair Trade Practices
Salt is created naturally through weathering when minerals or rocks are broken down or dissolved on Earth’s surface. For clarity, Bingepinge explains, “You collect sea salts from the ocean before the evaporation process.”
He continues, “As for evaporated salts, we focus on the brine, full of minerals like calcium and potassium.”
The journey begins by introducing brine to the shallow salt pans – a traditional method that harnesses the sun’s heat for natural evaporation. This age-old process, meticulously overseen, slowly transforms the seawater, leaving behind a deposit of pure, mineral-rich salt crystals.
The Makgadikgadi salt pan sits in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana, one of the largest salt flats in the world — and all that remains of the legendary pan formerly known as Lake Makgadikgadi.
It once covered an area larger than Switzerland and was said to be up to 30 meters, drying up tens of thousands of years ago.
N/UM prioritizes both sustainability and fair trade. N/UM’s Sacred Soutini Salt (more commonly known as Baleni Salt) is harvested by the Tsonga women in South Africa’s Limpopo province. The salt is harvested from the Baleni geothermal spring, which was declared sacred by Nelson Mandela in 1999.
How the salt is harvested ensures minimal industrial impact and empowers the local community.
These women follow strict sacred bylaws to preserve the site’s integrity, including using a distinct derived language of pseudonyms, specified harvesting technology and tools passed down by generations, and adhering to succession practices.
“This traditional practice has been passed down through generations and is an integral part of their cultural heritage,” Bingepinge expounds.
N/UM also offers salts harvested by the Khomani San people in the Kalahari region. The Khomani San are indigenous to the Kalahari Desert, spanning South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.
“They have their unique methods of harvesting salt, which also involves sustainable practices and deep cultural significance. Each community manages and harvests its salts independently and with N/UM, the variety is precisely what we are celebrating,” states Bingepinge.
According to the creators of N/UM, the “taste your origins” mantra serves as a unifying element for humanity and a source of collective healing — one delicious bite (or sip) at a time.
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Elevated Pairings with N/UM African Salts
As an avid baker, Kone describes sprinkling the Sacred Soutini Salt over chocolate as “magical.”
She also recommends sprinkling the salt atop roasted vegetables, adding them to your favorite salad dressings and brines, or crusting the rims of margaritas for an elevated twist. The Ivorian entrepreneur also encourages creative culinary enthusiasts to experiment with the salts in everyday recipes.
Bingepinge’s choice is the African Beechwood Smoked Salt, deeply colored with an intense woodsy aroma that develops after a ten-day smoking process, reminiscent of a smoky campfire, a true representation of traditional African cooking.
For the chief product officer, the African Beechwood Smoked Salt evokes powerful memories, a feeling he hopes will resonate with customers no matter where they’re from.
If he closes his eyes, the African salt transports him to his beloved grandmother’s home, where the ubiquitous aroma of African beechwood, commonly used to fire up stoves and ovens around the region, signals the preparation of a warm meal.
The salt is perfect for sweet and savory dishes and Bingepinge invites all to immerse themselves in the flavorful experience by crushing the salt rocks on pieces of meat or vegetables to replicate a barbeque exemplified in this juicy spatchcocked Mozambican Peri Peri Chicken recipe.
N/UM offers the Zambezi Series, featuring a rare selection of four African salts. In addition to the Smoked African Beechwood Salt, the series includes:
Kgalagadi Ancient Salt: This soft pink, mineral-rich salt from Botswana boasts a uniquely delicate and clean taste. Use it for everything from seasoning to finishing meats, fish, salads, and fruits.
Benguela Lily Fleur de Sel: Hand-harvested from South Africa, this delicate sea salt adds a touch of luxury to any dish. It’s perfect for finishing meats, fish, salads, and desserts like salted caramel.
Benguela Sea Salt Flakes: Hailing from an underground lake fed by the Benguela current, this South African salt offers a unique mineral taste and satisfying crunch. Sprinkle it on grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or avocado toast for a delightful textural and flavor boost.
As for cocktails, Bingepinge recommends spicing up obvious pairings like old fashions or tequila-forward recipes. He directs curious cocktail lovers to experiment with N/UMs Flavor Wheel.
“The idea of celebrating Africa in a premium way ensures our ingredients and stories are regarded as highly as any other premium product.”
There is no ceiling for the atypical pairings and offerings N/UM can bring as a brand. With products people can trust and associate with cultural celebration and elevation, the founders are making great strides to become part of households’ standard lineup of seasonings.
N/UM artisanal African salts are available for purchase on N/UM’s website. They are also available at select locations in Chicago, Illinois (USA), South Africa and Zimbabwe.
You can also taste the origins of Africa at the Chicago Artisan Market in July 2024. Follow N/UM and the founders on Instagram for dates and times, as well as future brand announcements.