How we started...
Both Abena and Eugene grew up in Ghana, West Africa. Abena's father has been a farmer for over forty years, just as his father and grandfather were also farmers. Growing up, Abena's father taught her to blend the West African holy trinity of spices and the culinary history of common West African dishes.
After moving to the US, and while working in the food industry, Abena noticed a lack of West African food originated products in mainstream retail stores and wanted to help fix this gap. Therefore, she leveraged her food science background and West African heritage to develop the first prototype of POKS Spices West African Seasonings. That prototype was a hit at a white elephant gift exchange event, and eventually led to the launch of two products in the summer of 2016. In the summer of 2020, a third seasoning product was developed and launched.
Where we are...
At POKS Spices, we are passionate about:
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Introducing the West African holy trinity of spices to the American homecook in multiple product formats.
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Bringing products, flavors and product packaging to market, that reflect the boldness and vibrancy of the West African region.
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Promoting West African foods and culinary history, helping to cast the region in a positive light to a global audience.
Since the first product launches in 2016, we have been featured in multiple press and media outlets such as Good Morning Texas, Thrillist, Dallas Business Journal, Food Business News, Cuisine Noir Magazine, and Go Texan Magazine. POKS Spices West African Seasonings have also received 8 product awards with 4-1st place wins, 2-2nd place wins and 2-3rd place wins.
We couldn't have gotten this far without you; thank you for being a part of our journey!
Abena & Eugene
