Feb 113 min read

N/UM Salts - Taste Your Origins

With N/UM "it just clicks!" Well at least in the way you pronounce the word. When we say you want to put some N/UM in it, we mean exactly that! These African Artisan salts are the missing ingredient in our culinary and mixology experiences that we didn't even know we needed. Filled with potent flavour, addictive aromas, and one of a kind packaging, these salts have the power to ignite conversation and transport you to your favourite kitchen table surrounded by great people, heartwarming moments, and even better food.

N/UM started as an ambitious dream that uses African ingredients to build a premium brand of salts which unapologetically celebrates African cultures and redefines the narrative around our amazing continent. The ultimate goal of the founders is to build this name into the premier African food and beverage brand in Africa, North America and Europe.

The name N/UM has its origins from the Khoisan people of Southern Africa and means ‘potent healing energy’. Some of the salts are sourced from one of the world’s largest salt pans, the Makgadikgadi Pan. The pans are remnants of the prehistoric Lake Makgadikgadi that existed between 2, 000, 000 B.P to 10, 000 B.P. years ago in the area that is now the Kalahari Desert of north-eastern Botswana. Khoisan communities still reside in the area, a region also believed to be where humanity began its great migration from Africa.

Co-founder Awa Koné says, “The name, along with our tagline, ‘Taste Your Origins’ serves as an invitation for humanity to revert back to the source to experience the healing energy of N/UM, in a flavourful way. If we all go back far enough as humanity, we can all eventually come to a place of undeniable commonality. The salts, themselves a remnant of the prehistoric Makgadikgadi Lake, represent the opportunity to ‘travel’ back to that common departure point and reconnect in a profoundly transformative way.”

About the Founders

Kudzai Bingepinge - Chief Product Officer, Storyteller, Explorer, Chef

Kudzai is an explorer of African history and indigenous knowledge systems. He uses his storytelling and experience as a modernist chef to create innovative and immersive dining experiences for guests at his Zurich-based private supper club known as Oral Tradition. Exploration, cultural celebration and innovation also underpin his role as co-founder and head of product development at US-based food start-up, African Flavor Lab Inc., where he leads the sourcing and development of African indigenous ingredients for premium distribution in North America, Europe and African markets. Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Kudzai spent 14 years living in Canada before moving to Switzerland where he has built a culinary laboratory that explores indigenous African ingredients which he collects and catalogs.

Awa Koné - Chief Executive Officer

Awa is a seasoned financial services professional, who moonlights as a ‘professional foodie’. She is passionate about good food as she truly believes in the connection between food and our souls. Originally from Côte d’Ivoire, she has lived on three continents and traveled the world far and wide, yet has found that there simply is no place on earth like Africa. She is fiercely passionate about telling the amazing story of the continent, its people, its culture, and of course, its food.

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