Edible Food Find: HAPI African Gourmet
Photos by Adam DeTour
Paulette Ngachoko, a native of Cameroon who came to the U.S. as a refugee by means of Burkina Faso, is on a mission to mainstream African-style foods in this country. A lawyer and political activist, Ngachoko launched HAPI African Gourmet to change the narrative about the continent of Africa, Africans and African cuisine. Her story is one of perseverance and adaptation.
While living in the U.S., Ngachoko discovered two things: First, many people had negative perceptions of Africa and its cuisine, and second, there were no ready-to-eat African meals in specialty stores.
“I want people to experience African cuisine and African culture in a different way. Not only through food but also through the stories behind the food ... and beyond that,” says Ngachoko, who chose the name HAPI African Gourmet as an homage to the Ancient Egyptian Nile god of harvest and good crops. Every detail of HAPI African Gourmet, from the product to the name to the packaging and design, is intentional with the purpose of sharing the story of African cuisine.
Ngachoko started off with a simple, but popular, item used in various African countries: peanut sauce. In 2018, she launched her peanut sauce with the expectation of entering the institutional food service industry. She would quickly learn that a refrigerated product like peanut sauce had a short shelf life and food allergies related to nuts would pose some challenges.
Fortunately, she adapted and created a frozen sunflower sauce (made with roasted sunflower seeds), which is like a peanut sauce without the allergens. During the pandemic when institutions were forced to shut down, Ngachoko found herself once again having to make a product shift. Thinking quickly on her feet, Ngachoko introduced three spice blends: Aza’a, an all-purpose meat seasoning; Ajou, all-purpose fish seasoning; and Azi’i, an all-purpose vegetable seasoning, translated as “mine,” “yours” and “his/hers,” in her mother language of Yemba. Some key ingredients are harvested in the deep forests of Cameroon and the spices are then blended at the Commonwealth Kitchen.
HAPI African Gourmet currently offers plant-based products with no preservatives and plans to introduce meat options as the company grows. There are three options of delicious, ready-to-eat meals with authentic and bold flavors: creamy sunflower sauce with jasmine rice, peas and carrots; creamy peanut sauce with jasmine rice, peas and carrots; and small red beans with jasmine rice and fried plantain. All three are frozen meals that can be popped in the microwave or conventional oven, and taste as delicious and fresh as home-cooked meals.
“A Taste of Africa” is written on every HAPI product. Ngachoko designed a logo that honors her late grandmother and her home country of Cameroon: a terra-cotta bowl. The bowl signifies the importance of sharing a meal and African cultures with others, but it also vividly reminds Ngachoko of how her grandmother would present her meals. Even after 30 years since her grandmother’s passing, she still remembers the exquisite tastes of those meals, using a combination of simple ingredients. Look a little closer at the logo, and you’ll notice an Ndop cloth, a traditional fabric of the Bamileke people of Cameroon.
HAPI African Gourmet wants to be recognized for its bold savory flavors that bring a taste of the African continent to your table without the expense of traveling to Africa. Ngachoko hopes that these products encourage diners to view Africa and African cuisine through a more positive lens and discover the various types of flavorful and hearty meals of her heritage.
Ngachoko has numerous plans for HAPI African Gourmet. With a focus on West Africa, primarily Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana, she eventually plans to provide meals from all over the continent. Ngachoko’s dream is that one day HAPI African Gourmet will become the Nestlé and Goya of African food. HAPI African Gourmet products can be found online, on the shelves of specialty stores like Nubian Markets and Pemberton Farms Marketplace, as well as select farmers markets.
