Amidst the honking horns and the swirls of dust, an adventurous eater is comfortably at home in Ghana. I guess the problem many people have when travelling to a country like Ghana is that there isn’t exactly an abundance of restaurants, and any that you do encounter, well, service isn’t exactly 5 star.
The people of Ghana like to eat on the move, and there certainly aren’t many countries that reward the quick street munch like Ghana does. With stainless steel bowls perched atop their heads, women dish out hearty bowls of perfectly spiced stew and rice. A popular lunchtime dish is waakye. This is a mixture of beans and rice, often served with fish or meat. Heaps of condiments can be added like noodles, hard-boiled eggs and crunchy salad.
Sitting down in a little wooden hut in the middle of a shanty town in Accra, I had the opportunity to try tilapia, a tasty grilled fish served with banku. Banku is cooked fermented corn. The sticky banku is used to scoop up the fish and dip it into the hot and spicy soup. Comforting and delicious. In Ghana spice rules all. All dishes have a kick, and some kick harder than others. Fortunately however, you are never to far from a local selling frozen yoghurt!
The hands on approach to food adds an extra sense to the experience. The idea is to waste no time, dig straight in and swallow. Instant comfort and gratification, washed down with a shot of whiskey to ‘aid digestion’. Certainly a welcomed addition to an Irishman like myself.
The Irish Backpacker 