GHANAIAN FOODS

Food is a major problem when we think of travelling and touring. Of course those who stay in fanciful hotels do get foods that suit their palate. But those who live with families or do not have that much money to live or go to these big hotels are left without choices  must blend with their environment or starve. We know that best dishes are geographically determined, though times are changing, it is unlikely to find pizza on the streets of Accra, or sushi at an inexpensive joint. So you blend, blending you must.

If I decide to talk about the many foods in Ghana, it might take the whole day. So let’s talk about the ones that are known nationwide.

FUFU

This is a pounded mixture of cooked cassava and plantain. It is the favourite dish of the Akans and it tastes great with different soups. Soups like groundnut soup, palm nut soup (you wouldn’t want to be a talkative when taking this, because you can easily choke and the soup will find a different route through your nose), light soup, ‘kontomire’ (cocoyam leaves) soup etc… These soups are prepared with any meat or fish one chooses, onions, fresh tomatoes (some do add tomato puree), salt to taste, pepper(dried/powdered), okro(optional), water, any spice/seasoning you prefer and the main ingredient; be it palm nut, groundnut, ‘kontomire’ but nothing else for light soup.

 

BANKU 

Banku is made from maize or corn dough and cassava dough. The main dish of the Ewes of Ghana. The maize is normally soaked in water for three days, washed and grounded in a corn mill, this is then mixed thoroughly with a little water and left over night, then it is ready to use in the preparation of Banku. It is mixed with the cassava dough and water (porridge style), put on fire and stirred until it becomes thick and cooked ready to be served with any soup, or stew of choice or even roasted fishes with grounded pepper. If you ask me, it is served best with okro stew.

ԐTIW

Another maize food without cassava dough heavier than Banku, a delicacy of the Fantes of Ghana which is served best with Fante- Fante (fresh fish stew, mostly the fishes in this stew ‘overtake’ the stew’ because the Fantes are known fish and meat lovers) or grounded pepper with lots of fishes.

 

AMPESI

This is cooked yams, plantain, cocoyams, and cassava. The main dish of the Fantes. Though these foods are mostly served with stew, some do take them with grounded pepper or soups. But for me, eating it with garden eggs or ‘kontomire’ stew is best.

 

TUO ZAAFI:

Mainly a dish of Northern Ghana. This is also another maize food, but this is usually very soft than banku. It is only a little thicker than porridge and is served best with green leafy soups and stew combined. Of course there are the ‘bra’ soups and others, but if you go to the northern part of Ghana and do not taste this food, then you didn’t experience anything.

 

WAAKYE:

This is a cooked blend of rice and beans with dried sorghum leaves and a little salt to taste. The end result is a cooked rice and beans looking purplish because of the sorghum leaves. It goes with gravy/tomato stew and shitↄ (dried grounded shrimp and or dried herrings stew made properly cooked almost to the point of burning, it can be stored for months or more). This food is also a delicacy of the Northerners of Ghana.

 

There are more like the ‘aprapransa, konkonte’ etc…  In the mean time, these are the most favoured foods in Ghana. Though they are regional foods, they have become nationwide delicacies and are sold by the road sides. So when you visit Ghana, try as much as possible to try these meals.

    Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia 2014.