Ghanaian food is delicious and varied! It is a unique mixture of African, European, and colonial influences. From the coast to inland, there are countless dishes to try – each with its own unique story and history.
So if you’re planning a trip to Ghana, or even if you’re just curious about what Ghanaian food is like, read on for our list of 30 dishes you have to try at least once in your lifetime. Oblayo, Fufu, plantain, Red-Red…endless choices await!
So get ready to explore the delicious world of Ghanaian food.
Banku is one of Ghana’s swallow foods and is usually made from ground maize giving it a corn flavor.
Banku is made by grinding up and fermenting the maize to make the corn doe which is then boiled until getting a thick porridge-like consistency.
Banku can be served with a variety of soups like okra, fish especially Tilapia, or palm nut soup.
While Fufu may look like Banku in texture, it’s actually quite different. Fufu is made from pounded cassava, a starchy root vegetable.
The cassava is boiled until soft and then mashed with a large mortar and pestle.
To eat it, Ghanaians typically take some of the dough into their palm, dip it into the soup or stew, and then pop it in their mouths.
The Ghanaian specialty Kokonte is a type of food made from cassava flour. This Ghanaian snack is a favorite for those who love to eat something savory after a meal.
There are many variations of Kokonte, but the most popular is made with pounded cassava flour just like Fufu.
Kokonte also goes by the English name Brown Fufu due to the brownish color it may take depending on the type of Cassava used.
Similar to Banku and Fufu, Kokonte can be served with many traditional Ghanaian foods.
Tuo Zaafi is Northern Ghana’s staple dish. It’s very similar to Banku but with a much more sticky texture. Tuo Zaafi is made with cornflour with a little bit of added Cassava which gives it softer consistency as well.
It is traditionally served with okra stew or Ayoyo soup.
Kenkey is a staple food in Ghana that is made with fermented cornmeal dough. When cooked the fermented dough is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
The preparation and cooking process of Kenkey may take several days due to the fermentation of the maize.
Kenkey is usually accompanied by fish or vegetable stews.
Akple is a Ghanaian swallow food that originates from the Ewe people in Ghana’s Volta Region very similar to that of Banku and Fufu, but the dough is made from cornmeal instead of ground maize.
Akple can be eaten with a variety of Ghanaian soups or stews.
One Ghanaian dish that is a must-try is WasaWasa. This yam flour meal is very tasty. Once it’s done it resembles a brown rice dish and it’s usually served with spicy sauces and vegetables.
Serve with Ghanaian soups, stews, or by itself, Wasawasa is a simple dish yet hard to make. Preparing the authentİc Wasawasa can easily take hours of mixing, steaming, and cleaning.
Wasawasa is a Ghanaian food not to be missed.
Hominy Corn Porridge is originally a Jamaican dish, but Ghanaians love it so much that they have made it their own.
Oblayo is a cornmeal porridge that is boiled with water or milk to form a thick consistency.
Oblayo is often served with sugar, Ghanaian peanut butter or groundnuts, and a boiled egg. This dish can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ghanaian cuisine is known for its variety of rich, flavorful dishes. One popular dish is Red Red stew, a hearty mix of black-eyed beans, tomatoes, spices, peppers, onions, and red palm oil served with golden crisp plantains.
The red palm oil gives the dish a red color, hence the name. Ghanaians typically eat Red Red stew with fried plantains.
Waakye (pronounced ‘Waachay’) is one dish Ghanaians are very fond of. It is one of the most popular Ghanaian dishes eaten for breakfast and lunch.
The dish is made with rice, red or black beans, and Ghanaian Waakye leaves which are all cooked together. The end result is a delicious meal that Ghanaians eat with a variety of Ghanaian condiments.
Waakye is sold in restaurants and by street food vendors.
Jollof is known in many African cuisines as a staple food. It’s also a famous Ghanaian dish.
The Ghanaian version of Jollof rice is not so different from the one made in Nigeria. It is a one-pot dish made with long grain rice cooked with tomatoes and spices such as ginger and hot peppers.
In ghana, Jollof rice is traditionally eaten with chicken, beef, or fish.
Another popular dish in traditional Ghanaian cuisine is Omo Tuo, which is rice balls. Ghanaians eat a lot of rice and it goes well with most of their meals.
This Ghanaian meal is often presented as a side dish. It’s made by cooking rice until soft and rolling it into small balls.
Omo Tuo is usually served with groundnut soup or palm nut soup.
Palaver (also spelled Palava) sauce is made with a variety of ingredients, some of which include Ghanaian green leafy vegetables, dried meat or fish, and spices.
The dish is usually served with multiple Ghanaian starchy foods such as boiled rice, potatoes, Garri, Fufu, or Yams.
The Ghanaian Okra soup is a very tasty Ghanaian dish that has been made for generations.
The Okra soup uses simple ingredients that can be found in all Ghanaian markets. All you need is okra, tomato sauce, green pepper, and a few simple spices.
Plus, the Okra stew is a very healthy Ghanaian dish especially when it’s paired with Fufu or Banku. It is also low in fat and calories, and it is high in fiber.
I noticed that soups are really a big thing in Ghanaian cuisine and there are so many different kinds.
I was able to try a few different soups while I was there, but my favorite was the light soup.
It is a Ghanaian tomato soup and it is so good! The broth is flavorful and slightly spicy, but not too spicy. It also has lots of vegetables in it like carrots, onions, okra, and even potatoes sometimes.
If you are ever in Ghana or a Ghanaian restaurant then I highly recommend trying Ghanaian light soup.
Street food in Ghana is a colorful and flavorful affair, and one of the most popular street food dishes is Hausa Koko.
This spicy millet porridge is made with Millet flour, and a variety of local seasonings to give it that special taste.
In case you don’t know, Millet is a grain that is high in fiber and protein, making it a healthy ingredient to make Hause Koko.
You can find Hausa Koko being sold by street vendors and restaurants and it is often paired with Koose.
Ghanaians are also known for making some great snacks. Koose or koosay is a black eyes pea fritter that was introduced to West Africa by the Hause people.
Koose is made by soaking the the beans and then mashing them along with onions, garlic, pepper, and ginger. You can use a pestle and mortar or a food processor.
Once you have a smooth mix, scoop and fry until golden and serve it with Koko or any other sauce you like.
There is no dish as simple as the Ghanaian rice water porridge. Often made with just Ghanaian rice, water, and salt.
This dish can also include any number of ingredients to make it more flavorful. Common additions include sugar, milk, and nutmeg.
Ghanaian rice water porridge is a hearty dish that is usually eaten for breakfast or as a light meal.
Etor is Ghana’s version of mashed potatoes. It is one of the traditional dishes that can be enjoyed with boiled eggs, peanuts, or by itself.
Etor puree can be prepared with either boiled yam or plantain and is usually flavored with palm oil.
Mpotompoto also called Asaro in Youraba language is a Ghanaian style of Yam Pottage. Yam is a kind of root vegetable that is common in Ghana.
As the name suggests, Yam pottage is made of Yam along with other ingredients like tomato sauce, crayfish, onions, and pepper to make a delicious Ghanaian meal.
Bofrot, a deep-fried doughnut is popular in Ghana, is the perfect way to start your day. This delicious snack is made from flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and oil.
It is best served hot and can be eaten with a variety of Ghanaian sauces. Some popular Ghanaian sauces that compliment Bofrot are Ghanaian pepper sauce, tomato stew, and groundnut soup.
Bofrot can also be eaten as a dessert with Ghanaian chocolate syrup or honey. No matter how you eat it, Bofrot is a delicious Ghanaian snack that you will love.
Nkatie Cake is a Ghanaian snack made with crushed groundnuts or peanuts and melted sugar. It is usually served as a dessert, and it is very delicious!
Tubaani (Bean Pudding) is a dish made with beans, spices, and sugar. It can be served as a dessert or a main dish.
Tubaani is made with either black-eyed beans or red kidney beans. It can be eaten hot or cold and is often served with a sauce or gravy.
Tubaani is a popular dish in Ghana and can be found in restaurants throughout the country. It is also popular in the diaspora and can be found in Ghanaian restaurants around the world.
If you are looking for a Ghanaian snack that tastes great, then look no further than fried yam chips.
Fried yam chips are a Ghanaian favorite with their delicious taste. Ghanaians love to eat fried yam chips with so many different foods, including fish and chicken dishes.
This snack or appetizer is made by cutting yams into thin slices and then frying them in oil until they are crispy.
Ghanaians enjoy eating plantain chips with fried fish, just like many West Africans do.
Plantain chips are made of fried plantain. The chips are usually crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and this gives it that perfect taste!
One of my favorite Ghanaian dishes is Angwa Mo, which is made with rice and onion stew.
This dish is very easy to make and it’s perfect for any occasion. The way Ghanaians make their Angwa Mo is by frying the onions in oil until brown and then add water to it.
The onion stew is where the rice will be added to cook. The fried onions are what give Angwa Mo rice a unique taste.
Sometimes meat is added to the rice but it’s tasty even without it.
Agbeli Kaklo is a Ghanaian local snack. It is made of grated Cassava.
The Cassava is then seasoned with onions and salt, molded into small balls, and deep-fried until golden and crisp.
Agbeli Kaklo is a delicious side dish to Ghanaian coconut meat.
Shito means pepper sauce in the Ga language in Ghana. Shito is a hearty sauce that is made from red hot pepper, tomatoes, dried fish, ginger, prawns, crustaceans, garlic, and spices.
It is a delicious and spicy sauce that is perfect for adding flavor to all Ghanaian foods.
You may come across different types of Shito with different colors but that all depends on which region of Ghana was it made in.
One of the most popular Ghanaian foods is Red-Red, a bean stew with rice. Other favorites include Jollof rice, Banku and Fufu with soup, and many others.
If you’re looking for something sweet to eat in Ghana try some Bofrot or Nkatie Cake.
All this and more awaits you when you travel to one of the most beautiful countries on Earth: Ghana!
Ghana has over 40 different ethnic groups and every ethnic group has its own food and cuisine. However, most dishes share a common Ghanaian staple: starch!
The most common Ghanaian starchy foods are Banku, Fufu, and Kenkey. These are swallowed foods that go with a variety of Ghanaian stews and sauces.
Ghanaians eat with their hands, so you’ll be using your fingers to eat everything from stews, and sauces to rice and swallow foods.
When you visit a Ghanaian restaurant expect to be served a bowl full of water to wash your hands before and after the food.
We hope this list has made you hungry and inspired to go out and try some of these delicious Ghanaian foods. Share your favorite dish in the comments below and be sure to explore more on what makes Ghanaian cuisine so special!
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