Agooo ooooo oooo
Most of the meals or dishes prepared in Ghanaian homes, have stories to tell, it brings back memories and customs passed down from generation to generation. A Ghanaian meal is a true picture of the climate, the history and the people.
In Ghana, breaking bread together create a sense of belongingness. Ghanaian food is diverse. It consists of a lot of spicy soups and stews ( sauce) made with a lot of tomatoes, onions, pepper, garden eggs (eggplant) okro (okra),carrot, cabbage, ayoryo leaves ( jute leaves), dawadawa ( fermented African locust beans) cucumber, kotomire (cocoyam leaves), ginger and some indigenous spices. Starchy tubers are stable food in Ghana (yam, cocoyam, sweet potatoes, cassava) and plantain. We also have rice, maize, millet, sorghum, wheat .
My engagements with other cultures, informed me that, people grew up with little or zero spicy food. This was a big news to me. Most of our meals in Ghana are spicy. I really love spicy foods (very spicy). But do not forget that you can also ask for no spicy food anytime you are placing an order for your food at the restaurant or cooking at home.
A lot of first timers strongly contemplates on their choices of Ghanaian foods during their first two meals in the country. Some students on service learning programs sometimes decides not to eat anything within their first two days in the country. They mainly focused on their packed snacks. Their testimonies (love) towards Ghanaian food changes immediately they try Red Red (fried ripped plantains, served with black eyed peas sauce and boiled eggs).
Grilled Tilapia and Banku (Banku is made out of corn dough like Latino taco except it is a ball but with no meat, seafood and beans) with pepper sauce (onions, raw tomatoes and pepper sauce). Most of our fishes come with the head. Always remember that, the head is more important than your personal tidbits you carry around all the time. I love the head of a tilapia , this is a must-try anytime you visit Ghana. Ampesi ( boiled yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, plantains) and Kontomire (spinach-like sauce) is also worth tasting.
Fufu with soup is very popular in most of our homes. Especially for dinners, but it can be eaten during lunch too, but do not be surprise to see others eating it in the mornings. In pounding fufu, the level of trust and precision is just heartwarming. I always love to hold the pestle (the stick) , I am not good in “driving” the food in the mortar. Try to pound “fufu” anytime you visit Ghana.
We should bear in mind that, one of the most common food that is shared worldwide is also presents here in Ghana and it is rice. We have the plain rice (white), fried rice, vegetable rice, Ghana jollof rice and more. Remember I mentioned Ghana jollof rice ; yes ! yes ! there is special jollof rice war between Ghana and Nigeria. One of the biggest food debates in Africa; “WHO MAKES THE BEST JOLLOF RICE.”
I will delve into that another time because, “It’s a different kettle of fish”. Jollof rice is a rice-based meal cooked in tomato sauce and some spices which comes with all sorts of accompaniment. It’s easy to transition with Jollof rice as a first timer.
It is very uncommon for people from other cultures and countries outside the continent of Africa (Ghana) to swallow food sometimes. But you need to practice the techniques of swallowing of food before you come to Ghana. Most of the popular meals in Ghana; Fufu , Banku, Tuo zaafi, Akpele and more are purely eaten by swallowing. Bear in mind they are also meant to be eaten with your washed hands.
For proteins, Ghanaians rear these animals for food; cattle, sheep, goat, rabbit, pig, fowl and more. Game is a delicacy in Ghana and we call it bushmeat ( antelope, rat, grasscutter just to mention a few) . Dry fishes(smoked fish) are very popular as well. Lobsters, salmon, crab, cassava fish, mudfish are also common.
If you love eggs, then try eating boiled eggs with raw pepper sauce and some onions. This can be eaten anytime within the 24 hours in a day; Ghanaians love it.
On a road trip, you can have plantain chips as a snack, they are the best and you wouldn’t regret trying it, fried yams, sobolo, roasted maize, frozen ice cream in small bags with variety of flavours to choose from (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mango and more). There is also a ginger cookie
With the perfect beaches, beautiful cites, nature reserves full of wildlife, making you connected to mother nature is the great transformational key. In Ghana, we will say ” AKWAABA “, you are always welcome to Ghana our motherland.
Ameeeeeee……………..
IT’S A GHANA_THING
Kwame Appiah – Kubi ( KKT Sankofa is our heritage)
