We had the good fortune of connecting with Desta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Desta, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My Aunt Noussi was a very important woman in my life. She was born and raised in Cameroon and very proud of it. She taught me many things I know today. She loved to cook and make everyone happy through her foods/sauces.
In 2019, she got sick and passed away. That was very hard for me and it still is. I thought of how I can keep her name and memories going and I came up with the idea of attempting to duplicate her hot sauces and share it with all the hot sauce lovers. This is how noussi foods (hot sauces) was created.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am very new at this. One thing for sure is that, owning a business is a lot of work and it comes with many obstacles. What keeps me going is the reason I started this business.
I want, when people see my hot sauce labels, they are able to see the vision behind the sauces; I wanted to represent the Cameroonian/African culture with the image and colors of the labels. I want, when people savour the sauces, they are able to taste what a Cameroonian/African hot sauce taste like; and come back for more.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I will first take her for breakfast at my favorite atlanta (breakfast/brunch) restaurant: First Watch; the food is delicious; similar to homemade food.
After breakfast, we will go sightseeing in the city (CNN, World of Coca Cola, Centennial Park, Botanical Garden).
We will grab some street food for lunch (with some Noussi Hot Sauce) and continue our sightseeing.
In the evening, we will have dinner at Sage Woodfire Tavern. I love this place because they have a dance floor and play a variety of music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my family, my husband and my 4 beautiful kids. A special shoutout to my friend turned sister Julie; the brain behind Jumiino Natural Skincare. She is my go to person when it comes to digital marketing; and most importantly my lovely Aunt.

Website: noussifoods.com (coming soon)

Instagram: noussifoods

Other: noussifoods@gmail.com

Image Credits
Makayla-Rose I

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.