Yumundi
English
GH

Ghanaian Recipes

18 recipes

Ghanaian cooking revolves around starchy staples and bold soups and stews. Cassava, plantain, yam, maize and rice are pounded, boiled, fried or fermented, then eaten with sauces built on tomatoes, onions, ginger and hot peppers. Soups such as light soup, groundnut soup and palm nut soup are served with fufu, rice balls or banku, and smoked or dried fish adds depth to almost every pot. Palm oil and groundnuts (peanuts) are used everywhere. The south leans toward fish and fermented corn dishes, while the north cooks with millet, sorghum, shea butter and leaf sauces. Street food is part of daily life: waakye in the morning, kelewele and koose as snacks, kebabs in the evening and sweet fried dough from roadside vendors. Jollof rice is the dish of parties, weddings and funerals, and a spoonful of shito, the dark pepper sauce, sits beside many plates.

Staple ingredients

Breakfast

Soups

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Desserts

Snacks

Drinks

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

Common questions

What is Ghanaian food known for?

Jollof rice, waakye, fufu with light soup, banku with grilled tilapia and kelewele. Soups, spicy pepper sauces and starchy staples such as cassava, plantain and yam define everyday meals.

What is the national dish of Ghana?

There is no official one. Jollof rice and fufu with light soup are the dishes most often named, with groundnut soup (nkatenkwan) and waakye close behind.

Is Ghanaian food spicy?

Usually fairly hot. Scotch bonnet peppers go into stews and pepper sauces such as shito, but the heat is easy to control, and many dishes are served with the pepper on the side.