"Digitaria exilis" is an important part of cooking in West Africa, traditionally used for porridges and steamed cooked foods. The species is known to have high levels of carbohydrate and protein. These protein levels are seen with "Digitaria exilis" being rich in essential amino acids such as methionine compared to other cereals such as wheat, rice and maize. These qualities show that "Digitaria exilis" could be a good food source, and that if the right characters are chosen, it could turn into a useful crop.