West Africa · Street food
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.
The story
Originating in the northern savanna belts among the Hausa and northern Ghanaian communities, Kuli-Kuli is an iconic high-protein street snack eaten daily on its own or crushed over roasted corn, hausa koko, and soaked gari. Historically developed as a byproduct of artisanal cold-press groundnut oil extraction, women processors developed this snack to utilize the remaining protein-rich press cake. The crucial technique lies in rigorously kneading and squeezing warm paste to expel surplus oil, ensuring the fried crackers become shatteringly crisp rather than greasy.
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