Pre-1500s
Root and grain staples
Yam, millet and sorghum form the base diet across the forest and savannah zones long before European contact.
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Cuisine book · 4 cities · 8 dishes
Ghana
Rice, cassava and pepper, cooked a hundred different ways
Ghanaian food is starch-and-stew logic repeated across the country's regions, from coastal fish stews to northern millet dishes, tied together by shared love of pepper, palm oil and slow-simmered soups.
History
Where it all comes from
16th–18th centuries
New World crops arrive
Portuguese and later Atlantic trade brings cassava, maize, tomato and chilli pepper, which quickly become staples.
19th century
Coastal trading-town cuisine
Fishing and trading ports like Cape Coast and Elmina develop fish-based stews shaped by Atlantic and colonial contact.
20th century
Independence-era national dishes
Jollof rice and waakye become symbols of everyday and celebratory Ghanaian identity as the country modernises after 1957.
Today
Street food and diaspora pride
Kelewele stalls, waakye vendors and a global diaspora keep Ghanaian food, and its jollof rivalry with Nigeria, firmly in the spotlight.
Jump to a city
City 1 of 4
Accra
Coastal capital blending street food and modern dining.
Jollof rice
20th-century staple
Smoky tomato-based rice cooked in one pot, central to every Ghanaian party and a friendly rivalry with Nigeria.
Kelewele
Popular street snack
Cubed ripe plantain fried with ginger, chilli and spices, sold hot from roadside stalls at night.
Waakye
Northern-origin, now nationwide
Rice and beans cooked with dried millet leaves for their reddish colour, served with a full spread of sides.
City 2 of 4
Kumasi
Ashanti heartland, home of fufu and heavy soups.
Fufu and light soup
Ashanti staple
Pounded cassava and plantain served in a spicy tomato-based broth with meat or fish.
Groundnut soup
Traditional Ashanti dish
A rich peanut-based soup with chicken or goat, often paired with fufu or rice balls.
City 3 of 4
Cape Coast
Fishing port with strong seafood traditions.
Banku and grilled tilapia
Coastal staple
Fermented corn and cassava dough served with whole grilled fish and a fiery pepper sauce.
Kenkey
Ga-Adangbe tradition
Fermented corn dough wrapped in corn husks, steamed and eaten with fried fish and pepper sauce.
City 4 of 4
Tamale
Northern savannah cooking with millet and groundnut base.
Tuo zaafi
Northern staple
A smooth millet or maize dough served with a leafy green ayoyo soup, the everyday northern meal.
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