13 Ghanaian Dishes to try when in Ghana
Welcome to Ghana, hungry already? Well if you haven’t heard yet, Ghana is the international station for some of the best Afro cuisine. Ghanaian food is widely known to serve your taste buds with a burst of unique flavors, giving you an out-of-the-world edible experience. Ghanaians boast of using the right amounts of flavorings, herbs, spices and a variety of fresh ingredients in cooking, making our cuisine stand out and enhancing your Ghanaian food experience. As a foodie myself, I love to experience different kinds of local flavors and dishes and these are my top 13 local dishes you must try when in Ghana.
1. Hausa Koko (millet porridge)
This popular Ghanaian breakfast originates from the Hausa tribe in Nigeria, as its name suggests. It is made with fermented millet which is ground together with ginger, cloves, black pepper and dried chili pepper, forming a unique blend of flavor and spice. Millet porridge is served with sugar, milk and groundnuts if you want that extra kick. This popular delicacy is preferably eaten with well seasoned “kose” (fried beans cake). You can also have this porridge with “puff puff “ (African doughnut). This well loved Ghanaian street breakfast can be found almost everywhere, so ask a friend or local to guide to help you find the best Hausa koko.
Tip from a local: If possible, buy this porridge from a Muslim vendor, they make the best Hausa Koko
2. Jollof rice
I’m sure you’ve heard about this internationally recognized food which has its roots in Senegal and was adopted by several other African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia and Sierra Leone. There has been a lot of debate about who has the best Jollof rice and I think Ghana Jollof can be ranked as one of the best (This is my opinion as a patriotic Ghanaian).
This local dish is made with a rich combination of tomato sauce and rice, cooked on a stove or over firewood to give it a rich smoky flavor. Jollof can be enjoyed in any highly reviewed Ghanaian restaurant at a reasonable price. This local dish is usually served as lunch or dinner. I love to add some salad, fried plantains, and some proteins like; eggs, chicken, beef, fish or sausage. This dish can be made to suit vegetarian and vegan dietary preferences.
Tip from a local- Some of the best Jollof rice I have had has been at Chop Shop Restaurant and Buka Restaurant.
3. Beans with plantain (red red/gobe)
This dish is popularly called “Gobe” or “Red Red” because of the reddish look it gets from cooking the base sauce of the beans stew with red palm oil and frying the plantains with red palm oil as well.
It is prepared with black-eyed beans, onions, pepper and some spice which is optional but highly recommended to give it an added taste and served with fried plantains. This dish is usually served as lunch by street food vendors. The meal can also be served with gari (cassava flakes), eggs and avocados.
Tip from a local: If you react badly to beans, I won’t recommend having this dish
4. Waakye ( Beans and Rice)
“Waakye” is one of Ghana’s delightful meals. Although considered a heavy meal, it is loved by many as a breakfast meal which can keep you full for a long time, helping you save money from having to buy lunch again in the afternoon. It is prepared with a selective combination of black-eyed beans and rice cooked together with sorghum leaves which adds to its beautiful reddish color and spectacular taste.
This popular morning dish is served with tomato gravy and shito (black pepper sauce). Additional side dishes for this meal can include plantains, spaghetti, gari (cassava flakes), salad and any protein of your choice. Waakye is one of my favorite local Ghanaian dishes. In fact, I had “waakye” this morning before writing this blog post.
Tip from a local: I have found that waakye sold by Muslims and men usually is the best. Every neighborhood has a favorite waakye vendor. Just ask any local to point you there.
5. Fufu and light soup
If you grew up in Ghana, then you definitely know that the best Sunday meal is fufu in the afternoon, especially after church. This is a meal that brings the family together due to its strenuous method of preparation. I will not be exaggerating to say that every Ghanaian loves Fufu. Gladly there are new methods invented to make the process of preparing it easier without having to do the pounding. The fufu pounding machine gives you the same result a pounded fufu will get you just without the stress.
Fufu is made from cassava, yam and unripe plantain. Fufu is enjoyed with light soup (garden eggs or eggplant soup) with as many proteins of your choice as possible. Fufu can also be served with palm nut soup, peanut soup and Green soup (cocoyam leaves soup). I love all three soup options and my mood determines which one I will eat but overall, nothing beats fufu and light soup.
6. Ampesi and Kontomire Abom (Green plantain and Cocoyam leaves sauce)
“Ampesi” is beloved, especially among the Akan people of Ghana. When preparing it, I love to pair it with some tuna, boiled eggs, avocados and “koobi” (salted fish). Yes. Ghanaians love eggs because why not?
The green plantain (or unripe plantain) is peeled and cooked with a pinch of salt. As simple as that. The “kontonmire” stew is also prepared with palm oil, a blend of onions, pepper and tomatoes to make a colorful sauce. You can add some tuna or any other fish of your choice if you are like me and finally, freshly steamed and blended cocoyam leaves which is the main ingredient for the sauce. This dish is mostly enjoyed by many Ghanaians as lunch, especially on a weekend.
Tip from a local: This dish is served by Ayewamu by Jane. It is only served on certain days of the week so please check their menu schedule before you visit.
7. Banku and Okro soup
Banku is another popular Ghanaian food enjoyed with Okro soup. Banku is made from fermented corn and cassava dough cooked together and molded into round sticky balls. It’s usually served with Okro soup, a slimy tasty blend of okra, tomatoes, pepper, onions, crabs, fish, chicken, beef or goat meat. If you don't mind some spice, you can also have the banku balls with freshly blended pepper with tomatoes, black pepper sauce and charcoal grilled tilapia with some chopped vegetables.
This delicious local dish can be found at any local Ghanaian cuisine restaurant. This is a heavy meal so it’s great for lunch but be careful not to overeat, it can make you feel drowsy. All the same, this is highly recommended so try this whenever you visit Ghana.
Tip from a local: Go to Chop Shop Restaurant if you are looking for one of the best Banku and Okro Soups.
8. Kenkey
Kenkey is probably the most popular street food in Ghana. Made from fermented corn dough and cooked in corn husk, this popular Street dish is combined with grounded fresh pepper with tomatoes and fried fish together making it an incredible dish for an afternoon lunch. I love to add some avocados, shrimp and fried eggs. Give it a try and thank me later.
Tip from a local: The best Kenkey is made by the Ga people of Accra, which is not surprising as it is their native delicacy. If you have a very low spice tolerance, then this is probably not for you.
9. Roasted Plantain (Kofi broke man)
Widely known as a simple but delicious snack, roasted plantain has been known to keep a poor man satisfied with just a few cedis because it is affordability and still delicious. Well, I won’t say that now as currently, it has gradually become more like regular priced food and more expensive compared to some years ago. It's still worth a try. This simple street snack is paired with groundnuts and trust me, those two together taste amazing. It is highly enjoyable while hot and can be eaten as a substitute for a light lunch.
Tip from a local- If you are allergic to peanuts, I wouldn’t recommend this dish. You can buy just the plantains but to be honest, it kind of tastes bland without the peanuts.
10. Amotuo (Rice ball)
Another favorite of mine is rice balls, prepared from rice as the name suggests and mostly served with peanut soup or palm nut soup (I prefer palm nut soup). I love to eat this with smoked fish which is cooked in the soup and adds some flavor to the soup.
Tip from a local: You can enjoy this delicious meal at Ayewamu by Jane. It is only served on certain days of the week so please check their menu schedule before you visit.
11. Angwamo (Oil rice)
If you are schooled in Ghana, then you will be very familiar with this dish. This was the quickest lunch to make in between lectures with just simple ingredients; cooking oil, onion, pepper and rice. This dish is locally known in Twi as “Angwamo” which directly translates to oil rice. A combination of two words; “Angwa” which is oil and “omo” which means rice. You must try this dish when in Ghana. “Angwamo” is served with grounded fresh pepper, freshly chopped onions, sardines, fried eggs, sausages and some avocados. I love this dish very much and how easy it is to prepare.
Tip from a local- I will highly recommend trying this dish at Chop Shop mainly at the Osu branch.
12. Tuo Zaafi
Tuo Zaafi is a traditional dish from Northern Ghana, which is a thick, fluffy porridge made from millet or corn flour, typically accompanied by a hearty groundnut (peanut) soup or “ayoyo” soup (a green soup served with tomato stew). It resembles banku but it is much whiter and softer in texture.
Tuo Zaafi is also locally called “diewuo” in Twi, “tuo zaafi” in Hausu and “sa’am: by the Dagombas in the Northern Region of Ghana where it originates from.
13. Kelewele
Finally, the icing on the cake, “Kelewele” (fried spiced ripe plantain), which is every Ghanaian’s favorite night treat. This aromatic night snack is made from ripened plantain mixed with some spice and then fried in vegetable oil until it turns golden brown. You must have it with some roasted peanuts (groundnuts), it is the best combination.
Tip from a local: I only trust “Kelewele” you can smell even before you get to the vendor selling it. No advertisement is needed, you can find a “kelewele” vendor just by the smell of the spiced plantain being fried.
Conclusion
Ghanaian cuisine is amazing and you will be really missing out if you don't give yourself a chance to try some when you are in the country. All these dishes are highly recommended, but you don't have to try everything while you are visiting. Select the dishes you are most looking forward to trying and start with those. Some of the dishes might contain ingredients you are allergic to, so ask a local or your local tour guide to verify such ingredients.
Explore, have fun and discover the country through its food
Let me know which of these dishes you would like to try out or have already tried and what your experience was.
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Hello, fellow adventurers! I'm Rashida, your not-so-typical travel guide. Join me for laughs, mishaps, and perhaps a questionable decision or two (because let's face it, those always make for the best stories). Learn More
