Ghana
Waakye, kelewele and groundnut soups built on palm and chili.
Iconic recipes
Ghanaian Jollof Rice
Ghana's beloved jollof — long-grain rice cooked in a rich tomato base perfumed with bay, ginger and shito heat.
Waakye
Iconic Ghanaian rice and beans tinted deep red by sorghum leaves — served with shito, gari, spaghetti and stew.
Kelewele
Spicy fried ripe plantains marinated with ginger, chili and warm spices — sweet, smoky and addictive.
Nkatenkwan (Groundnut Soup)
Velvety peanut soup with chicken, ginger and chili — Ghana's hearty Sunday classic served with fufu or rice balls.
Banku with Grilled Tilapia
Fermented corn and cassava dough paired with whole grilled tilapia and fiery pepper sauce — a coastal Ghanaian favourite.
Red Red (Bean Stew & Fried Plantain)
Black-eyed pea stew enriched with palm oil and served with sweet fried plantains — a beloved Ghanaian comfort plate.
Fufu with Light Soup
Ashanti pounded cassava-and-plantain fufu bathed in a peppery tomato-and-ginger light soup with goat or guinea fowl.
Ampesi
Ashanti boiled yam, cocoyam or plantain served with a tomato-and-garden-egg palaver-style stew.
Abenkwan (Palm Nut Soup)
Ashanti soup of fresh palm-nut cream simmered with fish, meat and aromatics — deep orange and glossy.
Omotuo (Rice Balls)
Ashanti soft rice balls hand-shaped from overcooked rice — the classic partner for groundnut and palm-nut soups.
Nkontomire Abomu
Ashanti cocoyam-leaf stew with ground melon seeds (agushi), smoked fish and palm oil.
Ga Kenkey
Ga-Adangbe steamed fermented white corn dumplings wrapped in corn husks — Accra's staple with shito and fried fish.
Kpekpele (Homowo Dish)
Ga-Adangbe steamed fermented corn couscous eaten with palm-nut soup at Homowo — the 'hooting at hunger' festival.
Shito (Black Pepper Sauce)
Ga-Adangbe smoky black chili paste of dried shrimp, tomato paste and spices — Ghana's national condiment.
Gobɛ (Beans & Gari)
Ga-Adangbe workday plate — soft-cooked black-eyed peas with palm oil, fried plantain and gari sprinkle.
Akple
Ewe stiff porridge of corn and cassava dough — the Volta Region's answer to banku, paired with fetri detsi.
Fetri Detsi (Okra Stew)
Ewe silky okra stew with smoked fish, crab and palm oil — a Volta essential with akple.
Abolo
Ewe steamed corn-flour cakes eaten with one-man-thousand (fried anchovies) on the Volta lakeside.
Yakayake
Ewe steamed cassava couscous eaten with sugar, coconut and fried fish — a Keta breakfast tradition.
Fante Fante (Fisherman's Stew)
Cape Coast fisherman's one-pot of fresh fish poached in a bright palm-oil tomato and onion stew.
Fante Kenkey (Dokono)
Fante fermented corn dough wrapped in dried plantain leaves and boiled — sweeter and paler than Ga kenkey.
Etsew (Cassava Porridge)
Fante fermented cassava porridge — sour, warming and eaten with sugar and milk.
Tuo Zaafi (TZ)
Dagomba northern staple of soft millet or maize porridge served with ayoyo (jute-leaf) soup and dawadawa.
Tubaani
Northern steamed bean cake of ground beans, chili and dawadawa wrapped in leaves.
Dawadawa Soup
Northern Ghana's earthy soup thickened with fermented locust-bean seeds, guinea fowl and shea butter.
Koose
Northern bean fritters — soaked cowpeas blended with onion and chili, dropped into hot oil.
Zom Koom
Frafra millet flour drink from Upper East — sweetened and spiced with ginger and clove.
Bambara Bean Porridge
Upper East porridge of bambara groundnuts simmered with millet, salt and palm oil.
Saab (Dagaaba TZ)
Upper West stiff millet porridge — the Dagaaba staple served with bito (dried okra) soup.
Bito (Dried Okra Soup)
Upper West Dagaaba soup of pounded dried okra thickened with dawadawa and shea butter.
Ghanaian Suya
Zongo Hausa skewers of thin-sliced beef crusted in ground peanut, ginger and yaji spice, charred over coals.
Masa (Waina)
Zongo Hausa fluffy rice pancakes cooked in special dimpled pans and eaten with yaji or sweet sauce.
Zongo Fried Rice
Zongo Muslim-quarter street fried rice — smoky, spiced and heavy on kebab, gizzard and shito.
Akyeke
Nzema Western Region steamed sour-cassava couscous — served with pepper sauce, fried fish and coconut.
Yam Mpotompoto
Bono / Brong-Ahafo one-pot mashed-yam pottage with palm oil, smoked fish and garden eggs — nursery comfort food.
Fried Yam & Tilapia
Coastal chop-bar plate — deep-fried yam batons and crisp tilapia with fresh green pepper sauce.
Momoni Stew
Coastal fishing-village stew built on fermented salted fish (momoni), palm oil and hot pepper.
Chichinga (Ghanaian Kebab)
Pan-Ghanaian street kebab of beef, gizzard and liver rubbed in dry chichinga spice and charred over coals.
Bofrot (Puff-Puff)
Nationwide sweet yeasted dough balls fried till deep gold — Ghana's Sunday morning treat.
Sobolo (Hibiscus Drink)
Nationwide chilled hibiscus tea infused with pineapple skin, ginger, clove and mint.
Nkate Cake
Nationwide brittle-style bar of roasted peanuts held together with caramelized sugar.
Atadwe Milk (Tigernut Milk)
Nationwide creamy porridge-drink of tigernuts, rice and dates — thick, sweet and cooling.
Hausa Koko
Nationwide spiced fermented millet porridge — Ghana's morning bowl, often paired with koose.