10 Traditional Ghanaian Dishes You Need To Try

Traditional Ghanaian food is typified by the distribution of food crops. With the prominence of tropical produce like corn, beans, millet, plantains and cassava, most ethnic groups creatively employ these foodstuffs to make mouth-watering dishes for their nourishment. Below are some dishes to introduce you to the scope of local Ghanaian food.

Originally from Senegal, Jollof is a pot dish of rice prepared with tomato sauce and served with meat or fish that stirs up plenty of interesting debate online. The rice soaks up the juicy flavours and turns orange when cooking, and is a national favourite that can be found in most restaurants or dished out by street vendors at affordable prices.

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Waakye is another food that exhibits Ghanaians’ creative use of rice. The recipe is a medley of beans and rice and was originally a Northern dish, but it can now be found almost everywhere on the streets of Accra. Eating Waakye will open the door to a range of Ghanaian tastes and flavours as the main dish is served with other sides such as fried plantain, garri (grated cassava), spaghetti and avocado.

When you see fish being grilled on the streets of Accra it is most likely to be tilapia, a delicacy among Ghanaians, who spice then grill the succulent freshwater fish. It complements banku, a Southern mix of fermented corn and cassava dough, and very hot pepper, diced tomatoes and onions. Banku is one of the main dishes of the people who live by the Ghanaian coast.

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Red-red is a filling traditional dish that consists of cowpea beans boiled to make a broth, served with palm oil and soft, fried plantains. It is one of the Ghanaian dishes that doesn’t use a lot of spice because the main taste comes from the ingredients it’s served with – it can also be dished up with garri to make it even more hearty. Red-red is also a perfect choice for vegetarians as no animal products are used.

In the Eastern and Ashanti regions of Ghana, one meal guaranteed to work its wonder is fufu and goat light soup, the proud dish of the Akan. Fufu is a staple food across West Africa but in Ghana, it is made by pounding a mixture of boiled cassava and plantains into a soft sticky paste to go along with aromatic and spicy tomato soup. Fufu can also be found in Northern Ghana, although it is made with yam in this region. This weekend delight is relished across the country, albeit with slight differences made to the core recipe.

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Northern Ghanaian food is dominated by the use of grains, herbs and meat as these are the main food products of the area. Tuo Zaafi is similar to banku, although it is quite soft and less sticky, and is made by cooking corn dough and adding a little cassava. What distinguishes Tuo Zaafi and makes it a popular meal nationwide is the nutritious and rare herbs used in making the accompanying soup, including dawadawa and ayoyo leaves.

Kenkey is another corn-based staple similar to banku, that is made by moulding fermented corn dough into balls and wrapping them around drying corn leaves, which are then boiled. The meal is served with hot pepper sauce, fried crabs, octopus or fish and is a delicacy of the Accran people.

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No list of traditional Ghanaian foods would be complete without this savoury side dish. Kelewele is an instant favourite among anyone who tries it, even those who aren’t big fans of peppery food. Usually sold as a snack or side dish all over Accra, it is made by frying soft plantains that have been soaked in a medley of peppers, ginger and garlic. The aroma is crisp and strong, while the pleasant plantain adds some sweetness to the sour.

Omo Tuo (or rice balls) are another traditional Ghanaian food that shows how the population often reinvents the myriad ways of eating rice. It comprises soft boiled grains that are moulded into balls and served with a variety of soups, and makes a great accompaniment to many dishes like fufu.

One present feature in local Ghanaian food is the use of a variety of leaf vegetables and local herbs and spices. The highly nutritious Kontomire stew is made from boiled tender cocoyam leaves, salted fish and boiled eggs, and goes perfectly with boiled yams, plantains and avocado.

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Ghanaian flavours have been given a new imagining at the one-of-a-kind Midunu, which bills itself as a company celebrating Ghana’s culinary heritage. Private dining is on offer, with sample dishes including plantain gnocchi and mango creme brûlée, as well as their nomadic dining events that pop up across Accra, with a multi-course menu that enables you to mingle and make new friends among other foodies. A popular event, reservations are strictly first come, first served.

Meanwhile, on the majority of weekends you will find a food fair or outdoor market, which is a haven for amateur and small-scale businesses to showcase their treats and delicacies, from tasty versions of jollof to desserts and chocolates. There’s something for everyone.

With so many tribes, there are many different types of traditional food to tuck into. Some of the most popular are soups, such as groundnut, palm nut and okro, eaten with varied starch balls, such as sweet-tasting fufu, or smooth and sour banku. Other popular dishes are kenke, the spiced plantain called kelewele, and the bean-and-rice-based dish called waakye. Street food, such as roasted plantain eaten with nuts and fried yams with pepper dip, are also popular and in the coastal areas you’ll find all kinds of prawns and oysters sold on spears, as well as other seafood.
Regional dishes can be found as you journey around the country, such as abolo (a steamed and sweetened corn dumpling) in regions where the Krobo tribe are based, and tuo zafi (a light, millet ball) in the northern region. Lots of this fare can be sampled at Buka or Country Kitchen, both popular lunch spots, and, if you can’t decide what to try, go for the buffet at Azmera Restaurant and sample a little of everything.

A number of international communities have migrated to Ghana over time and have opened highly rated restaurants. Simret Ethiopian restaurant is a small, six-table establishment that runs a selective and incredible buffet four nights a week. Reservations are essential. Some of the best Thai can be had at the only (slightly larger) establishment of Zion Thai in the popular enclave of Osu.

South Indian flavours, including dosas, can be found at Salt and Pepper, while at Tema you will find scores of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Korean restaurants (as well as casinos), in this port city that’s had a large Far East Asian influx in the last few years. Japanese fine dining is at its best in Santoku, from the team behind the world-famous Nobu chain.