Discover Ghana's Culinary Gems: 5 Must-Try Traditional Dishes
Pinned between Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso, Ghanaian cuisine has evolved to reflect not only the country’s history but also its West African climate. Arrivals to capital Accra will quickly discover that the key staples are starchy – corn, cassava and plantain are favourites – which are then liberally seasoned with peppers and hot spices; these don’t just create the sensual spectrum of flavours that transform Ghana’s dishes, ranging from hot-and-spicy to savoury sweet appetisers, but have a practical purpose too, keeping the food from spoiling.
The Ghanaian menu has remained rooted in rice or tubers for centuries, often accompanied with precisely-seasoned soup or stews. There have been some additions: Rye bread, for example, was introduced by European gold miners in the 15th century, at the start of 500 years of colonisation before independence (from Britain) was achieved in 1957. Visitors will also find variants of West African dishes such as Jollof rice, the sensitive subject of one of food’s rowdiest debates, with a number of countries – especially Nigeria – furiously laying claim to make the best.
Ghanaian food holds families and communities together – shared mealtimes are lively, social affairs – while street vendors continue to be popular with locals, with pop-up shops found across the big cities; just follow the queues. If you’re looking to sit down, some world-class restaurants have sprung up, such as Azmeera in Accra, offering the best of Ghana as well as from across the continent. But if anyone offers you Jollof rice, diplomatically remember that the Ghanaian’s do it best.
5 Ghana dishes you should try
Banku is served with grilled fish (Shutterstock)
1. Banku
Much loved across the whole nation, dumping-shaped banku are created by mixing fermented corn and cassava dough in boiling water, which is then stirred as it cooks. The dish’s trademark sour taste derives from the fermentation process that it must undergo to create the corn dough. It’s often served with ground pepper and grilled fish or an array of soups – okra is a good one; try it in Ghanaian-focused restaurants, such as Azmeera in capital Accra.
2. Waakye
Ghana’s most popular street dish, Waakye takes a long time to prepare but the process is more than worth it. First you have to rinse and soak red beans and rice separately and then add them to boiling water until cooked, and then leave them to become tender. The dish’s distinctive reddish-brown colour however comes from sorghum leaves, which is a key crop for Ghana’s northern regions. Waakye is usually served with other accompaniments such as gari (grated cassava), spaghetti and sometimes salad, meat or fish. It’s the signature dish for Accra’s famed street-food vendor Aunty Muni, so expect a big, polite queue outside the shop front.
Waakye is Ghana's most popular street dish (Shutterstock)
Kelewele is served with ground nuts or peanuts (Shutterstock)
3. Kelewele
This coveted appetiser is the Ghanaian variant of the fried plantains that you'll find across the continent. Kelewele is prepared by frying plantain and then seasoning it with spices such as grated ginger and cayenne pepper, before serving with ground nuts or peanuts. As its name suggests, Kelewele House is the place to try it in Accra.
4. Jollof rice
This tomatoes-and-rice-based dish has created some tasty food banter among Ghana’s neighbours who bicker over who makes the best version of the dish – particularly the Nigerians (who use long grain rice, while Ghanaians prefer basmati). Served with mutton, beef, chicken, goat, lamb or even fish (spiced and braised until tender), this dish can be found across West Africa, with most countries – including Senegal, Gambia, Cameroon and Togo – having their own national variants.
Jollof rice can be found across West Africa (Shutterstock)
Yam is usually sliced and fried (Shutterstock)
5. Fried yam
Tubers play an key role in Ghanaian cuisine, with the likes of cassava and cocoyam finding their way in many popular Ghanaian dishes, for example the dough-like fufu. But perhaps the most-revered of Ghana’s tubers is the yam, which can be sliced and fried – a popular street dish. This Ghanaian delicacy is served with grounded pepper and fried fish or Turkey tail.
Did you know?
Ghana is one of the world’s largest producer of Cocoa beans. If you’re a chocolate lover, it’s extremely likely that you’ve actually already enjoyed the delights of Ghanaian chocolate.
For more Ghana cuisine, Wanderlust recommends...
The Ghana Cookbook (£19, Hippocrene Books) by Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Bata. An award-winning cookbook with 140 recipies to choose from, lessons in Ghanaian seasoning and an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients.
