Minnesotans are World Cup crazy! Sure, fans are rooting for Team USA, but there’s another team with a certain je ne sais quoi.
“With the World Cup, you have all these people seeing France through this team and getting more understanding of French African heritage,” said Liza Maya, co-founder of Soul Grain and a French citizen who grew up in France.
Soul Grain is a St. Paul-based small-batch granola company founded in May 2022 by longtime friends Liza Maya, a functional nutritionist, and Sylvia Williams, a pastry chef. The brand cleverly deconstructs iconic, nostalgic flavors into wholesome, gluten-free snacks.
Soul Grain, known for celebrating the rich culinary traditions of the Black diaspora, is unveiling a new signature flavor profile, Lemon Tarte, a French staple found in almost every boulangerie (bakery). “That’s my favorite dessert in France,” Maya added.
Soul Grain will release Lemon Tarte on July 13th, one day before Bastille Day celebrated annually on July 14th to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille in 1789, a pivotal turning point in the French Revolution which symbolized the end of the absolute monarchy and the birth of the modern French Republic.
The granola release also comes during French American Heritage Month and alongside the infectious energy of the French FIFA World Cup Team, spearheaded by a phenomenal core of French-African talent, including captain Kylian Mbappé and stars like Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. The French FIFA World Cup Team proudly showcases the powerful, multi-generational influence of African roots on the global soccer stage, which has so many people, including Minnesotans, glued to their screens.
The timing couldn’t be better for Soul Grain whose mission with every product is to educate. “We’re using this Lemon Tarte flavor to bring attention to the Black and Brown people in France,” Williams explained.
Soul Grain’s recipes map the global footprint of Black heritage. Flavors like sweet potato casserole and banana pudding pay homage to iconic African-American comfort dishes. Coco Mango speaks to Caribbean roots and Spiced Paradise, which uses grains of paradise, a spice native to West and North Africa.
Each bag of granola also has a QR code that links to a curated music playlist
designed to provide a nostalgic, cultural experience that pairs with the snack. For example, Caribbean dancehall for coco mango or Afrobeats for spiced paradise.
“The playlist for Lemon Tarte has some hip hop music that’s French, some R&B music that’s French, but also American hip hop that has used samples of French music,” Williams added.
She and Maya agree that if the French team goes all the way in the World Cup it’s just the whip cream on top of an already delicious slice of lemon tarte. Knowing Minnesotans and fans all over the world are seeing the wins of cultural diversity is already music to their ears.
Soul Grain’s Lemon Tarte flavor is available exclusively on the company website. But you can pick up other Soul Grain flavors in a variety of locations in Minnesota, including Kowalski's Markets, Fresh Thyme Market, Hy-Vee, and Coborn’s. Soul Grain is also available on Amazon.
Learn more about Soul Grain, including its founders, products, and story here.
