My Favorite Ghanian Dishes

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There is an abundance of dishes that are available here in Ghana. These are just a few of my favorites.

1. Rice, Rice, Rice

Rice seems to be a staple in most Ghanian diets. They have a spicy Jollof Rice, where the rice is cooked in tomato sauce as opposed to water. They also have Waakye which is rice and beans cooked together (very filling and delicious. Oddly enough almost every restaurant here serves fried rice as well, very interesting and good.

2. Plantains

These are also a staple to Ghanian diet and comes in several varieties. There is just fried plantains which are soft and sweet. They also come in chip form which is sold on the side of the road everywhere. My favorite variation of this delicious fruit is called Kelewele. It consists of chopped plantains that are marinated in a spicy sauce and then fried w/ groundnuts(these are just peanuts). These are one of my favorite snacks in Ghana.

3. Tilapia

I have always loved fish, so the abundance of fresh and affordable tilapia is something that I have taken full advantage of. The majority of fish served is tilapia and it tastes much better than what I get at the store back home. I usually eat it with pepper sauce and banku (starch made out of fermented cornmeal).

4. Red-Red

This is by far my favorite dish. It is what we in America call black-eyed peas mixed with garri (casava flakes), palm oil, and a spicy pepper sauce( this seems to be a constant with all dishes) and served with plantains. I typically do not get the garri and eat it over rice. This is the dish that i will miss the most when I return home.

5. Fresh Fruit

The selection of fresh fruit that is available and affordable is expansive. I have been eating fresh pineapple, mangoes, bananas and avocados almost every day.