West Africa
Ghana
Waakye, kelewele, groundnut soup and fufu — the warm heart of West African cooking.
Staples
- Cassava and green plantains (fufu base)
- Fermented corn and cassava dough (banku and kenkey)
- Pona yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
- Cocoyam corms and leaves (mankani and kontomire)
- Black-eyed peas (cowpeas for waakye and red-red)
Seasonings
- Unrefined red palm oil and zomi
- Fermented locust beans (dawadawa)
- Grains of Selim (hwentea)
- Shito (black pepper condiment with dried seafood)
- Momoni (salted, fermented fish seasoning)
- Calabash nutmeg (African nutmeg / wedaba)
Techniques
- Pounding boiled tubers in deep wooden mortars
- Slowly simmering groundnut and palm fruit broths
- Fermenting and steaming maize dough in husks
- Caramelizing smoked fish with dried pepper aromatics
At the table
Meals are traditionally prepared by matriarchs and eaten communally with the right hand, featuring a substantial swallow like fufu or banku submerged in glistening, meat-and-fish-laden soup inside an earthenware asanka bowl. While coastal Ga and Fante tables center on fermented kenkey paired with fried fish and pungent shito, northern kitchens rely instead on millet or sorghum tuo zaafi accompanied by viscous ayoyo greens.
33 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Hausa Koko with Koose (Spiced Millet Porridge with Deep-Fried Bean Cakes)
Velvety spiced fermented millet porridge paired with feather-light, crispy deep-fried black-eyed pea fritters.
Tom Brown (Toasted Multi-Grain Cereal Porridge with Milk)
A deeply roasted, nutty multi-grain porridge enriched with evaporated milk, toasted peanuts, and fragrant spices.
Waakye (Ghanaian Rice and Beans with Sorghum Leaves)
Fragrant rice and tender cowpeas dyed a striking burgundy with dried sorghum leaf sheaths.
Soup
Abenkwan (Rich Palm Nut Soup with Smoked Meat and Fish)
A silky, deep-orange Akan palm nut soup laden with tender goat meat, smoked catfish, and aromatic indigenous spices.
Ebunebunu (Forest Green Cocoyam Leaf Light Soup with Smoked Fish and Snails)
A vibrant emerald Akan broth infused with tender cocoyam leaves, earthy snails, and intense smoked fish, balanced with fiery habanero heat.
Nkatenkwan (Ghanaian Groundnut Soup with Chicken)
Velvety, slow-simmered peanut soup with tender chicken, garden eggs, and a glistening red oil cap.
Main
Akple with Abobi Tadi (Corn-Cassava Swallow with Spicy Anchovy Tomato Sauce)
Elastic fermented corn-cassava swallow served with a pungent, fiery braised tomato and dried anchovy stew.
Ampesi with Kontomire Abom (Boiled Root Tubers with Cocoyam Leaf and Palm Oil Relish)
Tender boiled yam and plantain paired with a vibrant, smoked-fish infused cocoyam leaf abom stewed in hot palm oil.
Apapransa (Toasted Corn Flour Mash with Palm Nut Broth and Crab)
A rich, savory Ga and Akan celebration dish of roasted cornmeal stirred into slow-simmered palm nut soup with smoked crab and cow-foot.
Banku with Okro Stew (Fermented Dough with Mucilaginous Okra Stew)
Stretchy sour fermented corn and cassava dumplings served alongside rich palm-oil seafood okra stew.
Eto (Mashed Yam with Palm Oil and Boiled Eggs)
Sacred Akan and Ga mashed yam enriched with fragrant red palm oil, roasted peanuts, and hard-boiled eggs for auspicious celebrations.
Ghana Jollof Rice (Spicy Tomato Braised Jasmine Rice)
Aromatic jasmine rice infused with a deeply roasted tomato-ginger sofrito, warm spices, and aromatic stock, crowned with fried plantains.
Kenkey and Fried Fish with Raw Pepper (Fermented Corn Dumplings with Fresh Hot Pepper Relish)
Tangy steamed fermented Ga corn dumplings served with crispy golden red fish, fiery ground raw pepper relish, and shito.
Kokonte (Sun-Dried Cassava Flour Swallow with Groundnut-Palm Soup)
Silky, dark fermented cassava swallow served alongside a rich, fiery peanut and palm oil broth brimming with tender meat and smoked fish.
Mpoto Mpoto (Mashed Cocoyam Porridge with Dried Fish)
A comforting, golden cocoyam and smoked fish pottage stewed in unrefined red palm oil and savory aromatics.
Red Red (Ghanaian Cowpea Stew with Fried Sweet Plantains)
Savory black-eyed peas simmered in rich palm oil and smoked fish, crowned with sweet fried plantains.
Tuo Zaafi with Ayoyo Soup (Millet Swallow with Jute Leaf Soup)
Light, fluffy millet swallow paired with viscous jute leaf soup and a fiery tomato-meat stew from Northern Ghana.
Wasawasa (Steamed Dried Yam Flour Pellets with Fried Fish and Pepper)
Earthy, dark-steamed yam flour pellets tossed in seasoned oil and served with crisp fried fish, fresh onions, and fiery black pepper.
Side
Akyeke (Fermented Grated Cassava Couscous with Grilled Fish)
Fluffy, tart steamed fermented cassava couscous paired with blistered grilled tilapia, fresh tomato-chili salsa, and spiced red oil.
Shito (Slow-Cooked Black Pepper and Smoked Fish Condiment)
A glossy, umami-rich black chili sauce packed with caramelized aromatics, smoked dried fish, and intense crustacean depth.
Tatale (Spiced Ripe Plantain and Corn Flour Pancakes)
Fragrant, golden-red plantain fritters spiced with ginger and fermented corn dough, fried crisp outside with a tender, custardy center.
Dessert
Drink
Asaana (Fermented Caramelized Corn Malt Drink)
A sparkling, bittersweet malt soda crafted from fermented crushed maize and dark caramel.
Brukina (Steamed Millet Pearls with Fermented Cow Milk)
Chewy steamed pearl millet grains suspended in sweet, cardamom-spiced cultured milk.
Pito (Indigenous Fermented Sorghum Beer)
A tart, effervescent amber ale brewed from sprouted red sorghum and wild lactobacilli.
Sobolo (Spiced Hibiscus Flower Drink with Ginger and Cloves)
A bracing, crimson iced botanical infusion steeped with fiery fresh ginger, pineapple peel, and fragrant warming spices.
Street food
Authentic Ghanaian Waakye with Shito and Fried Plantains
A beloved Ghanaian street food staple featuring rice and black-eyed peas dyed a deep burgundy with sorghum leaves, served alongside spicy black pepper sauce and sweet caramelized plantains.
Bofrot (Nutmeg-Spiced Yeast Doughnuts)
Golden, cloud-soft West African yeasted doughnuts spiced with freshly grated nutmeg and fried to deep amber perfection.
Chichinga (Ghanaian Beef Skewers with Suya Spice)
Tender charred beef ribbons crusted in roasted peanut flour, crushed spices, and smoked chili.
Kelewele (Spiced Fried Ripe Plantains)
Crisp, caramelized cubes of sweet ripe plantain tossed in fiery ginger, cloves, and African nutmeg.
Kuli-Kuli (Crispy Fried Defatted Peanut Cakes)
Crunchy, savory spiced peanut cakes crafted from defatted groundnut paste, fried golden-crisp with ginger, chili, and cloves.
Tubani (Steamed Black-Eyed Pea Pudding with Pepper and Oil)
Velvety steamed cowpea parcels served piping hot with scorched spiced oil, fiery chili powder, and finely sliced shallots.
Yele Kakro (Deep-Fried Seasoned Yam Croquettes)
Crispy, golden spiced yam croquettes seasoned with ginger, scallions, and peppers, offering a fluffy aromatic street-side snack.