Danuta Nganko, a Belgian-Congolese chef in Senegal’s capital Dakar, settled to become the country’s first gourmet chocolatier, opening Venko – Senegal’s first and only artisanal chocolate company.
Nganko said she got the idea after months of staying home with nothing to do.
she said. “I thought about working with a product, and I thought, ‘Why not chocolate?’ … Because I really love technical types of cooking, I thought it was for me.”
By fusing Belgian chocolate with locally sourced ingredients such as bissap, or the hibiscus flower, and moringa, Venko has quickly developed a reputation for combining unique flavours with stylish presentation, making Nganko’s chocolate a coveted delicacy among Senegal’s confectionary enthusiasts.
“The idea is to take a very classical chocolate and work it with local flavours,”
While lacking the cocoa culture of other regional powerhouses like Ivory Coast and Ghana, Senegal’s stability has made it an attractive destination for investors and entrepreneurs, including Nganko.
Nganko seeks to change the Senegalese chocolate culture.
“I think the next challenge will be to accustom Senegalese customers to buying chocolate on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “They do not yet buy chocolate as something to have in the fridge and take a bite, but we will get there.”
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
