Ghanaian Food You Should Try
Jollof, waakye, banku and the rest: what to order, when to order it, and how to eat it properly.
Food · 18 March 2026
Ghanaian food is built on starch, stew and pepper, and it is far more varied than a first visit suggests. Here is what to look for.
Jollof rice
Rice cooked in a tomato and pepper base until it takes on the colour and the flavour. Ghanaians will tell you theirs is better than the Nigerian version. Do not take sides at the table unless you enjoy an argument. Best eaten with grilled chicken and shito.
Waakye
Rice and beans cooked with dried millet leaves, which turn it a deep reddish brown. Served for breakfast with spaghetti, boiled egg, gari, fried plantain and stew, all piled together. Find a waakye seller with a queue and join it.
Banku and tilapia
Fermented corn and cassava dough, steamed and rolled into a smooth ball, served with grilled tilapia and hot pepper sauce. The classic evening meal. Eat it with your right hand: pinch off a piece of banku, dip, scoop.
Fufu with light soup
Pounded cassava and plantain in a broth of tomato, ginger and pepper, usually with goat or fish. Fufu is swallowed rather than chewed. Ask before you attempt this in company.
Red red
Black-eyed beans stewed in palm oil with fried ripe plantain on the side. Vegetarian, filling and one of the best things on any Ghanaian menu.
Kelewele
Ripe plantain cubes tossed in ginger, chilli and spices and deep fried. Sold on street corners in the evening. Buy a bag and eat it walking.
Shito
A dark, oily chilli condiment made with dried fish and prawns. It goes on everything and it is strong. Start with a small amount.
Drinks
Sobolo, a hibiscus drink with ginger and spices, served cold. Palm wine, tapped fresh and best in the morning. Asana from fermented corn. And Ghanaian chocolate, which almost no visitor expects to be as good as it is.
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