CHICAGO — Ayo Foods, a brand of West African-inspired frozen meals and sauces, has partnered with chef Zoe Adjonyoh to introduce two new products. Ms. Adjonyoh is a cookbook author and the founder of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, a supplier of African spice mixes and ingredients.
The new aboboi frozen meal is a plant-based stew with bambara beans, red peppers and chiles and spices. The groundnut stew is a peanut-tomato chicken stew.
“One of our missions at Ayo Foods is to make West African flavors more accessible,” said Perteet Spencer, co-founder. “By collaborating with Chef Zoe Adjonyoh, we can share her culinary talent with a new audience. We view Chef Adjonyoh’s new dishes as a valuable opportunity to expand palates while shifting perspectives on what belongs in the grocery store.”
The daughter of a Liberian immigrant, Ms. Spencer launched Ayo Foods with her husband, Frederick, two years ago. The brand’s recipes range from jollof rice to cassava leaf stew to egusi soup. The brand also collaborated with chef Eric Adjepong to develop additional dishes, including chicken yassa and waakye.
Ayo means “joy” in Yoruba, a West African language.
“As an advocate for the wider adoption of New African cuisine, I’m very excited to team up with Ayo Foods and help make this possible,” Ms. Adjonyoh said. “Food is a powerful source of connection and I hope the meals we created foster greater appreciation for West Africa's gastronomic heritage.”
The two new meals are debuting at Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide.