#159 Don't be Scared - Nafy Flatley, Teranga

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

Back in May, 2020, we interviewed Nafy Flatley founder of Teranga Foods; the show was released in July, 2020. In this episode, Sarah Masoni talks with Nafy to see what’s changed in her business since then. As a refresher, Teranga literally means hospitality in Wolof, the Senegalese national language. It is the spirit of camaraderie and acceptance of one another. Nafy’s favorite childhood memory is of her grandmother using baobab fruit to make refreshing, invigorating and nutritious beverages. She and her mother continued the tradition after her passing and when the family moved to the US Nafy wanted to bring the flavors of her childhood with her. Baobab is special because the Baobob tree, also known as the tree of life, grows throughout most of Africa and is an essential part of African cuisine and culture. In Senegal, baobab is a natural remedy for many ailments. It has more Vitamin C than oranges, more magnesium than kale, more potassium than bananas, more calcium than milk and is high in soluble fiber. It's a superfood, and it's in most of Teranga’s products. Teranga offers snacks, drinks and hot sauces in their line, all natural and wholesome. Beside the online business, Teranga’s products are now available in 17 San Francisco Bay Area farmers markets, cafes and grocery stores. COVID of course pushed sales to online during the lockdown, but even as guidelines loosened up and grocery stores did more volume, Nafy sought new distribution channels for her products. In the Bay Area, you can now buy her foods through Ubereats, and she is a big proponent of Good Eggs, an online platform born out of the COVID lockdown. Her push for sales has also resulted in her most distant delivery - to China. A previous customer was putting on a conference in China and wanted some Teranga products for the swag bag. Getting the products into the country turned out to be a struggle but resulted in many orders later from the US attendees upon their return home. Another big change since the last show was the opening of a restaurant in the Municipal Market in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area. The market is owned entirely by Women immigrants from half a dozen countries, so Nafy fits right in. Not to be overlooked are all the recipes Nafy offers on her website, healthy, nutritious and delicious. She also has contributed to a nonprofit cookbook with recipes, including the last meal she made in Senegal before immigrating to the US. Her business is growing and thriving and her words of wisdom are, “…share that passion with the world, don’t be scared. Go for it, make your delicious sample and then take it to whomever…”. That’s an attitude you can take to the bank. Visit her website: https://www.terangafoods.com/. Follow her on: IG @terangafoods FB@terangalife. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch