RnD-Africa: Processing Palm Weevil Larvae (Akokono) into edibles

This episode of RnD-Africa features nutritious food products from "akokono" or palm weevil larvae that will bamboozle your minds. These are the innovations emanating from Akokono House, located inside the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. You cannot wait to taste the akokono biscuits, the spicy akokono pepper (locally known as shito in Ghana) and the akokono khebab among others that are brazing the trail of new food products on the market.

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Welcome to R&D Africa on AAU TV.

In this episode, we are featuring
the Akokono House,

located inside the campus

of the Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology.

The Akokono House uses akokono
known as the palm weevil larvae

to make Shito, to also make biscuits,
among other produce.

Follow us as we take you through
the process of making all these products.

(upbeat music)

Insects are a popular source of food

in many cultures around the world,

as either an occasional delicacy

or as a replacement food
in times of shortages.

They provide a good source
of proteins, vitamins,

minerals, and energy,
and they cost less than animal protein

for poor and rural communities.

My name is Shobhita
and I'm the CEO and founder

of Legendary Foods, the company
behind Akokono house.

Akokono House is on a mission
to deliver the nutrition of meat

at the price point
and the sustainability of plants.

And so we have been researching
and building the technology

to farm akokono at a large scale
at an extremely affordable price,

so that everybody has access
to the nutrition of meat

and the benefits
that animal protein provides.

And so in order to also make our product
widely accessible to the masses,

we also wanna come up
with innovative and shelf-stable forms

of ways to process the akokono product,

so that even if you don't have a fridge,

you don't have a freezer,
you're on the go,

you want a convenient food,
you can still have access

to all the nutritional benefits
of akokono.

The palm weevil larvae
perceived by many as inedible

is now being used
to make nutritious products

such as the Akokono Biscuits,
Akokono Shito,

Akokono Kebab, and many more.

This is where we make our
Akokono Cookies, Akokono Shito.

Then we have the low-fat powder,
full-fat powder,

which is used for the production
of Akokono Shito.

First of all, you need
a freshly farmed akokono,

which is the palm weevil larvae
that we all know about.

Then we also have margarine.

We need margarine,
wheat flour to be precise.

Then also you have sugar, baking powder,

and then essence, vanilla essence.

Any essence you want to add,
is to your preference.

You can add that.

So first of all, what we
do is with the process,

you first mix your margarine, your oil,
and your sugar together in one bowl.

So after that mixture is done,
then you also mix your dry ingredients,

which is your wheat flour, the salt,

and then the baking powder
in also one container.

And then you mix the egg.

You can add your essence
at that point to the egg.

Then after you are done,
you gently add the mixed egg

to your mixed margarine,
the sugar, and the oil.

Then after you are done,

you have to make sure
that they are thoroughly mixed

and they are even before
you add your dry ingredients,

which is what I said, the wheat flour,
the salt, and the baking powder.

So you mix it gently to form a dough,
and then you knead it.

Then afterwards, you use your rolling pin

to roll out your dough.

Very little is known
about the full potential.

of the palm weevil larvae, scientifically
known as Erychophorus finnicides,

and locally known as akokono
in the Ghanaian dialect.

They emanate from dead palm trees.

They are a nutritional powerhouse.

They have protein,
zinc, iron, magnesium,

calcium, and rich
in vitamin B and good fat.

Yet, this local delicacy
has never been farmed

on a large scale until now
at the Akokono House,

at the Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology.

And we came across
this really interesting idea

that a lot of people actually
eat insects in the world,

but the supply chain
is fragmented, seasonal,

expensive, often food unsafe,
and very unsustainable.

And so we thought, why don't
we disrupt that supply chain

by farming insects instead of people
going out to the wild to forage them?

And then we became enamored
with the nutritional benefits,

the sustainability benefits,
and so we really thought,

"Okay, how can we push this forward
as a mainstream source of protein?"

Our main value proposition
is to supply the market

with farmed akokono
and farmed akokono products

in lieu of having to go
to the wild or to the bush

to forage them,
and to hand harvest them.

This has many benefits.

First of all, it is done
in a food safe manner,

so you don't have any risk of toxins,
insecticides, pesticides on your akokono.

The akokono drink water as clean
as you and I would drink.

But second of all,

it now guarantees
that it could be available year round,

so it's not seasonal anymore,

and also allows us to innovate
and create the technology

to produce it in a very
cost-effective manner.

And so we do not go
to the wild to get akokono,

we farm it in-house.

And so we are really democratizing
access to an indigenous protein source.

Traditionally, farmers depend
on harvesting palm weevil

from the trunks of palm
and coconut trees.

But the Akokono House
applies innovative ways

of farming the palm weevil

using technology
and farming systems built in Ghana.

Akokono can be processed very effectively
just as meat or fish or eggs,

or even when we're looking
at certain powders,

such as groundnut powder
that goes into Tom Brown mixes,

or milk protein powder
that goes into porridge mixes.

So when you are dealing
with fresh akokono,

you can steam it and then cook it,

use it as you would meat or fish,

but you can also then blend it up

and use it in your baked goods.

And what you're doing there
is you're adding an emulsifier,

you're adding a binding agent
and also a fat and a protein additive.

So you don't need to use
as much margarine, eggs,

or all of these other ingredients,

and you're also getting
a lot more nutrition.

So it actually doesn't take that long.

You just steam it and then
blend it if you wanna use it

in your baked goods,

such as the biscuit that you'll see.

But we also are testing out now
the application of Akokono Powder.

So one such application is in Shito,

which is very tasty

and a ubiquitous product
across the country.

But the powder can also go
into so many other products as well,

really as this high-nutrient,
locally made protein additive.

So the innovation opportunities
are really boundless

when it comes to akokono
and products made with akokono.

The palm weevil
is cultivated in containers

and the entire life cycle is bred
in a domesticated fashion

using vertical farming
at the Akokono House.

This method used
in cultivating the akokono

undoubtedly avoids deforestation.

The palm weevil larvae produced
at the Akokono House

is farmed on a large scale,

therefore making it
beneficial to not only them.

Their innovation has created job avenues

for some students within the KNUST campus.

The focus in producing palm weevil fingers

was to bring something
convenient and nutritious

using palm weevil larvae
found in our local industry.

But then this is very, very nutritious.

And in today's current generation,

pitching palm weevil larvae
as a protein source is like,

I thought of a way
to change the appearance

of the palm weevil larvae
such that it is more attractive.

We just mix it up.

We mash this, mix this up
with some other ingredients

and put this in a form like nuggets,
like chicken nuggets.

So it is pre-processed,
semi-fried, so very, very convenient.

Right after buying it from the shop,

you can just fry it
for two or three minutes,

and then you have your
protein source ready to go.

I decided to use palm weevil larvae
because it is indigenous to Ghana.

It is one of our own, yes.

Chicken, with chicken you have to import.

It's also very expensive,

but palm weevil larvae
is more affordable and convenient.

And it's also an innovative
product on the market.

No one is doing nuggets
with palm weevil larvae.

So that's why.
It's also very nutritious.

It has a high level of protein,
high level of fat.

And so it's a very good source
of protein compared to chicken.

And it's comparable to chicken

and even other high-protein sources
that we are currently aware of.

So that's why I chose palm weevil larvae.

Sales at Akokono House
wasn't so smooth in the beginning.

We had a few challenges from the start

because having to let people try things
they were not so familiar with

was a bit of a task.

So it wasn't easy, honestly.

But as time went on,
we were able to educate people.

There were people
who already knew about the product,

and people who knew nothing about it.

So it was all about education.

We have people buying from us
through our social media channels.

We're on Facebook, Instagram, on TikTok.

And we also have commercial ads
that's on TV and on radio.

So we're actually able to reach
the masses through this media.

And so that's how we came up
with multiple products

where we have akokono
inside as an ingredient.

And one such product is Akokono Biscuit.

But really, the possibilities are endless.

We can have Akokono Shito,
which we do have.

We can have Akokono Bread,
fortified ground nut paste with akokono.

So many different things.

You are assured
of massive nutritional benefits

with just a little taste
of the Akokono Biscuit,

Akokono Shito, and other
produce from the Akokono House.

This is Akokono Biscuit,
produced by Akokono House.

I'm super excited to try Akokono Biscuit

any time I visit Akokono House.

Today is no exception.

I decided to pass by and try it again.

Very crispy, very delicious,
has a milky taste.

This is the only biscuit
that has extra protein.

I will tell every potential
buyer that it is highly nutritious.

Very, very, very delicious.

So therefore, everyone should come
to Akokono House

and then patronize Akokono Biscuits.

This has been an interesting episode
with the Akokono House inside KNUST.

My name is Maame Ekua Otuakoa Nyame
and this is where we end today's episode.

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Let's meet inside the Akwakuno House.