Thick soups are the mainstay of Ghanaian cuisine and are usually eaten with potatoes or rice. Another staple meal is Fufu, which consists of cassava, yam, or plantain that has been cooked, pureed, and mashed into a ball. Fufu is a ubiquitous and much-loved staple throughout most of West Africa. It can be topped with a fiery sauce or served as the bland accompaniment to a main dish. Fufu is traditionally made with cassava, but it can be prepared with everything from rice or yams, to instant mashed potatoes.

On street stalls you can find plenty of foods to stave off your hunger pangs. A popular dessert is fried plantains seasoned with chilli pepper and ginger. This is usually washed down with a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made of corn called askenkee.

One of the more common foods served on ceremonial occasions in Ghana is oto. It is used as an initiation meal prior to the events of the day. Oto is always accompanied by hard-boiled eggs. For official ceremonial purposes, oto is prepared without onions or tomatoes.

Ghana's most famous 'food', of course, is cocoa. It is one of the country's major exports and is used to make chocolate.

Listen to the sounds of a Ghanaian harvest festival

Printable version

fufu balls recipe
Oto recipe

Photo for Oxfam GB by Penny Tweedie