KononiaTouch African Cuisine | Creating Community
By ERIC SMITH | Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ
Millicent Twum-Barimah says she wants her food to introduce Topekans to African culture, hoping it changes how they view her native continent.
“We want our business to make money, but we also want people to learn more about the African culture and accept us into the community,” said Twum-Barimah, who is originally from Ghana. She moved to Topeka to join her father in 2013.
Twum-Barimah knew when she arrived in Topeka that she wanted to start a business. Her first business was a cleaning company, but the interest wasn’t there, she said.
“I was like, ‘OK, I think I love to cook.’ I started to cook for churches, and people liked the food,” Twum-Barimah said. “I remember we went to my husband’s citizenship ceremony, and the judge said something about how we bring more than just a passport to the U.S. We bring our culture, too.”
Realizing she had not seen any African food in Topeka during the 10 years she’d lived there, she decided to take her cooking full time and open KononiaTouch African Cuisine in 2023.
A MOTHER’S INFLUENCE
Twum-Barimah credits her mother for getting her where she is today. Like her mother, she only uses natural spices — never artificial — when she cooks.
“I learned cooking from my mother when I was like 18 in Africa,” she said. “My mother loved to cook, and she loved to give food to people, too.”
KononiaTouch African Cuisine’s food truck travels the city, but often parks east of Topeka Blvd. at 300 29th St. SW, as well as near the intersection of 2900 California Ave. SE.
Their menu features classic West African dishes like jollof rice, shrimp fried rice and egusi soup and fufu, as well as oxtail, tilapia, red snapper and spicy chicken. They also offer snacks like puff puffs, meat pies, samosas and spring rolls, and freshly made drinks in flavors like hibiscus watermelon and ginger pineapple.
The family business, which includes Twum-Barimah’s husband Isaac and their three children, offers catering for parties and events like graduations and weddings.
“Don’t forget about us when you are eating a hamburger. Have the African food on the side,” Twum-Barimah said. “We can incorporate the African culture as an addition to any meal.”
She credits the 2023 Black Restaurant and Food Truck Week event, run by fellow Topekan Chris Ware, for helping her launch KononiaTouch.
COMMUNITY MATTERS
Community matters to Twum-Barimah, so she named her business after a Greek word that means just that. “Koinonia” loosely translates to fellowship, partnership and community.
“I would say the community has been good to us. Topeka has embraced us so well, because anytime we take our food truck out, we don’t bring home any leftovers,” she said.
Twum-Barimah recently left her day job to give her full-time attention to KononiaTouch. She and her family initially considered taking their business to Lawrence or Kansas City, but Topeka remains their home — and the place they want to serve their food.
“I thought about it, and I was like, ‘I did not do it for outsiders,’” she said. “I did it for the community. So we are going to be here and build this business here. By the grace of God, every day when we go out, our food is sold out. People come in every day.”
ACHIEVING GOALS
Twum-Barimah said her long-term goal is to expand beyond the food truck. She hopes to open a restaurant and a place where she can sell African clothing, groceries and more.
“Don’t be afraid of tasting new food,” Twum-Barimah said. “Come visit and tell us your preference. We’ll cook for you.”
KononiaTouch African Cuisine’s full schedule and menu is available on their Facebook page or visit their website at www.kononiatouch-llc.square.site.
TK
