Ghanaian cuisine is rich in local nationalities. Almost every ethnic tribe has their own delicious "signature" dish. However, a lot has changed over the years due to the growing urbanization. Today, many of these dishes are prepared in urban areas and consumed by people from other ethnic communities.

Features of the national cuisine of Ghana

Ghanaians have a rather simple but very aromatic cuisine. Most dishes consist of large chunks of stew or fish, usually served with staples such as rice or yams. Onions and chili peppers, along with tomatoes, palm nuts, and broth, are the basis for most stews. Meat is not often found on the table of the average ghanaian, it is usually replaced by cheaper fish.

The specific foods that make up the kitchen vary depending on the region in question. In the north, millet, yams, and corn are most commonly eaten, and in the south and west, plantain (similar to bananas), cassava and cocoyama (root vegetables). The people of the dry southeastern region eat mainly corn and cassava. Rice is a staple food throughout the country. Jollof is a spicy dish made from rice, tomato sauce and meat and is loved by most of the Ghanaian people. Pitot, a fermented sorghum drink, is popular in the north, while those in the south prefer palm wine.

Although each ethnic group has its own cooking style, most Ghanaians usually cook intuitively, determining which ingredients to add during the cooking process. Milk, cheese and other dairy products are rarely found in the Ghanaian diet and can usually only be found in large supermarkets. On the other hand, soy milk can be found in any store.

Top 10 popular dishes in Ghanaian cuisine

While traveling in this country, it is impossible not to taste the traditional cuisine. Get to know the main ones:

Soups and stews

Most of the dishes from Ghanaian cuisine are usually served with a stew or soup. The most popular are peanut soup, palm nut or light soup. Typically, rice is served with soup or stew, kenke is eaten with fried fish and hot peppers, and the jar is served with a stew or soup, sometimes tilapia (freshwater fish). Fufu, akle and conconte are served with the puree soup.

“Meat” in Ghanaian cuisine means any protein - snails, crabs, beef or fish, as well as meat from wild animals. Although Ghana has passed a law to protect endangered species, it is very difficult to convince tribes who have hunted for their food for centuries to stop doing so. Despite the prohibitions, in the markets you can find meat of antelopes, squirrels, local hares, as well as giant cane rats (grasscutters), which, of course, are not prohibited from hunting. The rat dish is considered a delicacy in Ghana.

What should a Ghanaian be like? Well, first of all, he must stick to the team. Loners are not liked in Ghana, as it is believed that they communicate with spirits. Second, honor your ancestors. Thirdly, it concerns ladies, being modest and homely. And the last thing. Any Ghanaian should know a lot about the famous local delicacy called "fufu".
Many citizens of the independent state of Ghana today prefer to live the way their grandfathers and great-grandfathers lived: in adobe huts with roofs made of thatch, thatch or tile. Despite the primitive way of erecting housing, a building of red, unbaked clay will stand under torrential tropical rains for several years - the main thing is to do cosmetic repairs on time. People who are accustomed to comfortable conditions, somewhere in the center of Moscow, may think that such a way of existence is too primitive and impossible for a civilized person - after all, the 21st century is outside the window. The Ghanaian will say that there is no need to pay for water, electricity, gas and other utilities.
The living space of one individual village family includes a building consisting of several rooms or even several huts located around an open courtyard, where a home is often settled. Our film crew was gladly shown the living room, and at the same time the bedroom in an almost completed dwelling, the size of which is not much larger than the dimensions of Uncle Pumpkin's house. It is curious that not only the living, but also the dead are considered family members. The dead are concerned about the health, well-being and safety of those who replace them on earth. Ancestors, who have long gone to the world of ghosts, drive away from the village harmful spirits who like to pester the weaker sex. To avoid such harassment, a woman is advised to sleep in a room without windows. In general, Ghanaians, especially those who live in the countryside, are very superstitious. A girl, for example, does not eat eggs and does not touch everything that belongs to a man - otherwise she will become shameless. The young man does not enter his parents' hut until he is asked about the purpose of the visit. A newcomer is not shown a cattle paddock or a pantry, for there used to be, and in some communities even now, the head of the family is buried.
The first duty of a Ghanaian is to be with the team, to live for the family and in the name of the ancestors. A person who shuns people is looked at with suspicion and even with fear. No healthy person can withdraw into himself or retire during the day. If this still happens, then they say that this person came into contact with spirits. And he needs to turn to a healer, who is easy to find. He wears white beads to keep evil spirits at bay.

Some of the travelers expressed a far from indisputable, but still sensible thought: "To get to know the country, you do not need to go to museums and see the sights. It is enough to dance a local dance, taste alcohol and local cuisine." Indeed, dance, drinks and especially cuisine can tell a lot about a country.

The cultural tradition of cooking in modern Ghana dates back to European forts. At the walls of the fortresses, the colonialists laid out gardens in which plants from all over the world were cultivated. Lemons, melons and oranges were brought here from the Mediterranean. From the New World came corn, casava, sweet potatoes, peanuts, pineapple, and guava. From Asia came nutritious rice, water yam, Indian plantain, a variety of banana. Today Africa is a real paradise for vegetarians. It is hard to imagine that even a hundred or two hundred years ago, the Ghanaians had no idea what a tomato, date or sugar cane is. It seems that bananas have always grown here. But this is not so. Bananas were also introduced to this part of the continent. And now Africans have something to put in the pan, because bananas in Ghana, as a rule, are fried.
In the diet of any, even the poorest, inhabitant, fufu is always present - a national dish that Ghanaian friends strongly recommended to us to try. To really feel the taste of this amazing food, the spoon and fork should be put aside, because fufu is eaten with hands, most often unwashed. It is not a shortage of water or soap that is to blame. It seems that the inhabitants have a strong immunity to bacteria since childhood. For them, food poisoning is like a coryza for a European. There are no special rules for absorbing fufu: you can resort to using both your left and right hands. We decided not to tempt fate once again and used the cutlery. It should be noted that in almost every country a close acquaintance with the national cuisine has dire consequences for all members of the film crew. Although fufu turned out to be a delicious dish.
Its liquid component is nothing more than a soup that is cooked separately from the fruits of the African oil palm, the so-called palm nuts. The trees, unlike other vegetables and fruits, are local. And the dish is the most national. The soup base can be consumed separately, or with a dough made from bananas, casava or yam with the addition of peanuts. These soups are also eaten with rice, bread, boiled potatoes, fish or meat. Sometimes it is meat from domestic animals such as a cat or dog. A similar dish is prepared from casava and tomato paste - such a dish is called coconte, if cornmeal is cooked in a tomato base - then this is nothing more than a jar.

But it is better not to interrupt the wonderful taste of fleshy snails with the taste of tomato paste. Snails are a delicacy and an opportunity for children to make good money in their free time from school.

From Indonesia and Malaysia to Ghana, Europeans again brought another plant very important for Africa - cocoa. Over time, the plant became strategic. Half of the cultivated land is under the chocolate trees. Cocoa beans account for a third of export earnings. The leaves of this miracle plant are edible to the wave, the top ones are especially tasty. We did not check, but took the word of the workers of a large farm, which is not far from the capital of Accra. There was a time when agricultural poachers transported almost all of the cocoa beans to neighboring countries, because the purchase prices in Ghana were extremely low. But over time, the situation changed. The employees of the enterprise learned how to make various types of soap from cocoa, quite tasty wine, tolerable liqueurs and even brandy. Cocoa vinegar is as good as vinegar made from ordinary vegetables. Finally, a powder is obtained from the cocoa beans, which is used to make the actual chocolate.
However, the stubborn reluctance of American and European traders to buy ready-made products in Ghana hinders the development of truly local producers. Chocolate manufacturers buy only cocoa fruits and raw materials. And the tasty products of local factories remain unclaimed in the world. Nevertheless, the situation is gradually changing. In Europe, they are trying to bring production to third world countries. Apparently, the time is not far off when new corps of confectionery giants will grow in Ghana. And tasty products will be produced where raw materials grow. Moreover, the world prices for cocoa are rising, albeit slowly.

We just can't help but write in February, which is Global Voices Cooking Month, about ten amazing dishes from Africa. Be sure to add them to your recipe collection!

Kamba (Prawns / shrimp) is loved in the coastal region. Shrimps taste better if cooked for just a few minutes on high heat. In the past I preferred fried shrimp only, but shrimp cooked with coconut milk is something that I would advise everyone to try. Believe me; you may never want fried shrimp ever again if you try this recipe. This recipe is exotic.

Shrimp are very popular in the coastal region (East Africa). They are delicious if cooked over high heat for a few minutes. Previously, I preferred exclusively fried shrimp, but shrimp in coconut milk is what I would advise everyone to try. Trust me, you will never want to eat fried shrimp again if you try this dish. This recipe is very unusual.

Ingredients:

500 g shrimp (better than king)
0.5 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp ginger
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp turmeric
1 tablespoon tomato paste (the more, the thicker the sauce)
1 cup skinless tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 bowl sweet pepper mixture (red, yellow, green)
0.75 cups real coconut milk (tui Zito)
0.5 tbsp salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

Marinate the shrimp with salt and pepper if desired (optional) and refrigerate for an hour.
Heat oil in a skillet, add onion and sauté over medium heat until light brown. Add the garlic and ginger and continue cooking until the garlic is brown.
Add black pepper and turmeric / saffron, stir for half a minute, then add tomato paste and stir for a minute.

Add bell peppers and cook for about a minute, then add tomatoes. Increase heat and cook until tomatoes are soft.
Then add the coconut milk. Stir until the milk boils. Add shrimp, salt and cilantro, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until shrimp is cooked. If not enough sauce, add coconut milk or water.

Serve hot.

Efo Riro is a Nigerian vegetable soup. Photo by Dobby Signature, used with permission.

Efo riro ”is a Yoruba word which simply means“ Vegetable soup ”and it’s enjoyed by many. This is because it’s really versatile and could be eaten with meals such as Rice, Yam and any type of Swallow. When I got to the market to buy the ingredients for cooking this meal, I actually got so confused when it came to choosing which Leaf to use for the soup.

"Efo Riro" is a Yoruba word that just means "vegetable soup" and is loved by many. This is because this soup is versatile and can be eaten with rice, sweet potatoes, or anything else. When I came to the market to buy the ingredients for this dish, I thought for a long time what kind of greens to buy for it.

Senegalese national dish shibu yen. Photo posted by Wikipedia user KVDP.

There are about as many variations for spelling ceebu jenn (thieboudienne, thiep bu dinenne, ceebujenn ...) as there are to making it. This rice (ceeb) and fish (jenn) recipe is the national dish of Senegal and can also be made with beef (ceebu yapp). If the dish looks familiar, it's because it's a descendent of paella.

There are many ways of pronouncing this name (sibudien, sip bu dinen, sibuyen ...), as well as options for preparing this dish. This rice (shib) and fish (yen) recipe is the national dish of Senegal and can also be cooked with beef (shibu yapp). If the dish looks familiar, it might be because shibu yen is derived from paella.

Matapa is a typical Mozambican dish made with young cassava leaves, garlic, crab meat or shrimp. In most cases, cashews are added to matapu. This dish can be eaten with bread, rice or just like that.

Chef Guru Mozambique Cuisine gives you simple instructions on how to cook matapu:

Are you ready to eat matapu? Photo by Brandi Phiri. Used with permission.

1 kg of shrimps
- 750 gr of peanuts
- 1 kg of cabbage leaf or cassava leaf
- 1 coconut
- 2 L of water
- salt to taste

Ingredients:
1kg shrimp
750 gr peanuts
1 kg cabbage or cassava leaves
1 coconut
2l water
salt to taste

Dorovet (above) is traditionally eaten with inyera, a lacy flat bread made with a grain resembling millet:

5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon yeast
enough warm water to make a thin batter

Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and yeast in a large bowl. Add enough water to make a batter the consistency of thin pancake batter. Cover the bowl and set it aside.

Ingredients
5 tbsp flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp yeast

Start by mixing flour, baking powder, and yeast in a large bowl. Add enough warm water to achieve the consistency of a pancake dough. Cover the bowl and set aside.

You can find full instructions for cooking.

Ethiopian / Eritrean iniera (flat bread) eaten with dishes such as doro vet. Photo posted by Wikipedia user Rama (CC BY-SA 2.0 FR).

Culinary blogger Immaculate writes about Cameroon's ndole:

At the top of my favorite Cameroonian food is Ndole, which is always present at parties, and when cooked properly flies off the table. It is an absolutely irresistible combination of peanuts, bitter leaves (substitute spinach), meat (stock fish, shrimp,) and oil. If I could eat this every day I would, It is rich, high in calories and loved by many. It tastes like a stew spinach dip with all the spices and meat.

My all-time favorite Cameroonian dish is ndole, which no party can go without and, if cooked properly, is snapped up in a moment. It is an extremely tempting combination of peanuts, spinach, meat (cod, shrimp), dried shrimp and butter. If I could eat this dish every day, I would. This is a very satisfying dish, and many people like it. It tastes like stewed spinach with all the spices and meat.

Follow Immaculate's instructions to make your own ndole.

There are many more delicious African dishes out there than the ones listed above, so be sure to research the blogs in this article to find more!

9 chose

Golden shore -the former center of the slave trade, a country of 50 nationalities - each neighboring tribe was a threat: they would not eat it, they would exchange it for beads. Today people of all tribes speak to each other brother and the safest place in Africa is Golden Black Ghana.

Ghanaians are a collective people, living in large families, and the main thing in the life of a Ghanaian is children.

The country: Ghana.

Official name: Ghana or the Republic of Ghana is a presidential republic in West Africa. It shares borders with Cote d'Ivoire in the west, Burkina Faso in the north-west and north, and Togo in the east. From the south it is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea.

What do they eat here?

To get to know the country, it is not necessary to go through all the museums and attractions; it is quite enough to dance a local dance and taste the local cuisine.

The basis of the local cuisine is a thick soup, cooked in meat broth with starch, vegetables and spices. Ghana's calling card is local soups: peanut soup pepe, palm nut soup, nkontomir - from yam leaves, with bananas and sauce ampesi .

The main local dish is fu-fu , a kind of yam, banana or cassava puree. Ashanti say - he ate without fu-fu, which means he did not eat at all. In the name, everything is taste, type and method of consumption. They eat this fu-fu exclusively with their hands, and unwashed. Well, there is no tradition of washing hands here - the local population has a strong immunity to all intestinal disorders. Lucky people!

Other local dishes:

yolof - like paella with meat and rice, chofi - fried turkey, all kinds of kebabs and couscous, game arcanti with various side dishes, dozens of salads with poultry, varieties of curry with rice and meat, a delicacy - fried snails green-green. Such good snails - about five will fit in a bucket.

The sea - this is it, which means the fish table: burning photo - crab or shrimp meat in dough, kenki and fanthe dorkun - fish fried in dough or in banana leaves in pepper sauce, small fish stewed in palm oil fante-fante , mackerel and salmon fish soup with tomato juice, as well as all kinds of seafood fried over charcoal.

Most of the vegetables and fruits that Ghana is rich in were once brought here by the colonialists. From the Mediterranean - melons and citrus fruits, from America - corn, peanuts, casava and Pineapple, from India rice and bananas. Yes! Bananas in Africa did not always grow. True, they are not eaten raw here - they are fried!

The simplest dishes are boiled rice, balls with sauce tuo-zafari , cassava paste coconte, rice puree omo-tuo. , fried banana tatle, fried bean balls kuse. All this will be served with many sauces like curry, agush - sauce made from vegetable oil, tomatoes and onions, shito - hot pepper sauce or ketchup variations. In general - there is something to eat! If you are in Ghana, you already know what to try.

Drinks and dessert

For dessert, besides fresh fruits, you can try:

kele-vele - fried bananas with pepper and ginger, the most popular dish in Ghana, ful - puree made from milk, ginger and sugar, and numerous Arabian sweets.

Drinks: dozens of teas and coffees, grain soft drink askenki , of course, cocoa, all kinds of juices and clean water. You can taste the local corn beer asana , millet beer pitot , palm wine or liquor akpeteshi .

What is it impossible to imagine the cuisine of Ghana without?

No soups, fu-fu and bananas.

National dish recipe

Mackerel soup from Ghana

Need to:

• Mackerel - 500 g
• Water - 500 gr
• Onions - 100 g
• Lemon - 1/2 pc.
• Tomato juice - 500 g
• Salmon (canned) - 1 can
• Ground black pepper, bay leaf and salt to taste
• Bay leaf
• Salt

Cooking!

We put a pot of water on the fire and send finely chopped onions, bay leaves, lemon slices and salt there. Peel and cut the mackerel into pieces, present the head and tail to the cat. Dip the fish in a saucepan and cook at a boil for 7 minutes, pour in tomato juice, add canned salmon and pepper, let it boil and eat with appetite.

For sweet

Summer is coming and, although our heat is not like in Africa, but a light tonic drink and our joy. Let's try to make ginger beer, which Ghanaians drink after a hearty meal, as it improves digestion and burns excess fat. And in winter this beer is drunk hot for colds.

Ginger beer

Need to:

• Ginger root 100g.
• Lime - 2-3 pcs.
• Water - 3-4 tbsp.
• Allspice peas - 1 tsp
• Brown sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Ice - to taste

Cooking!

Cut the ginger together with the peel into small pieces, the lime into 1-1.5 cm thick slices. Beat together with water (add a little) in a blender and filter the resulting gruel through a sieve, squeeze well.

Put black peppercorns, sugar, some ice (1/2 cup), strained ginger and lime juice in a blender, beat well. Strain again and put on fire, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let it cool and dilute with the remaining cold water. Put ice and lime slices before serving.

Especially for those who start their day with etoya. ru

I want to offer you a special recipe for morning coffee, I'm not sure if the Ghanaians invented it, but it's called ghana coffee ... This is much tastier than regular instant coffee, which is drunk in the morning in every office.

Need to:

• Instant coffee - 1 tsp.
• Brown sugar - 1 tsp
• Banana - a slice 3-4 cm thick

In a cup, quickly grind banana, coffee and sugar until frothy and sugar is completely dissolved. Add hot water carefully and that's it! Try it - you will love it!

Folk wisdom

If you deprive the child of attention, then you breed a crocodile in your own home.

Food prices in Ghana are very low. For 2-3 cedis (36-53 rubles) you can have a good meal in an inexpensive cafe, for 10 cedis (175 rubles) you can dine in a mid-level restaurant. At the same time, many imported products are quite expensive.

For information on the cost of food in Ghanaian shops, see the article Prices in Ghana.

Local food is quite acceptable for a European. European food is offered in buffets at large hotels and in some restaurants in Accra.

Traditional local dishes include Fufu(balls of crushed yam or cassava, served with soup); Akyeke(balls of crushed cassava with avocado); Fante fante (fish stewed in palm oil); Akrantee(bushmeat), etc. Soups are usually made with peanuts, palm nuts and vegetables. Shrimp and other seafood dishes are popular along the coast.

Bananas, yams, and sweet potatoes are used to make snacks. Fresh fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, coconut, oranges, bananas, etc.) are sold everywhere and are very cheap.

Tap water is generally not potable. Bottled water costs about 1 cedi (18 rubles) for a 1.5 liter bottle. Beer in bars costs about 2-3 cedis.

At prestigious restaurants and almost all hotels in Ghana, service charges are automatically charged. Tipping is not accepted in small cafes and bars. It is not customary to leave a tip in a taxi, although sometimes you can round up the bill.