Village Rainbows

This is an insert for the article “Fufu – The Feast of Kings and Queens” which appears in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of  “Destination Ghana“. See my previous post.

For the new initiate, let us look at the ingredients. In the southern parts of Ghana, fufu is most commonly made with cassava and plantain, while in the north it is made from yam. These ingredients are peeled, cut into pieces and boiled until cooked. At that time they are placed into a large wooden mortar and pounded until a starchy ball is formed. The ingredients chosen and the degree to which they are pounded will determine the consistency.

The connoisseur will then look to the soup. And what a choice there is, each with its own attributes, and each reflecting the unique culinary abilities of the cook and the raw materials at his or her disposal. Light soup may include many different ingredients: tomatoes, garden eggs, onion are most common. Groundnut (known elsewhere as peanut) paste gives nkateε nkwan (groundnut soup) its special flavour and makes that soup very rich and filling, while abε nkwan must be eaten while hot before the palm oil (abε) congeals and makes it difficult to swallow.

Flavouring is also adjusted by the amount of red pepper and ginger to be added, determined by the preference for hot food. No soup would be complete without a source of protein, and once again there are many choices: fish, both fresh and smoked; poultry, most commonly chicken but on special occasions, dabodabo (duck); meat, both domestic (goat, cow) and wild (grasscutter, antelope).