Come to Ghana hungry. The food here is one of the great, underrated cuisines of Africa — bold, spicy, soulful and built around a handful of staples turned into endless comforting variations. It’s a cuisine of slow-simmered soups and fiery pepper sauces, of starchy staples you eat with your hands, of grilled fish by the beach and rice dishes worth crossing borders for. Eating well in Ghana isn’t about fancy restaurants; it’s about the chop bar on the corner and the street vendor with the smoking grill. Here’s your map to what to eat — and how.
The staples: starch is the heart of the meal
Ghanaian meals are anchored by a starchy staple, usually paired with a soup, stew or sauce. You’ll meet fufu (pounded cassava and plantain, soft and stretchy), banku and kenkey (tangy fermented maize), rice in many forms, and yam and plantain boiled, fried or roasted. These aren’t side dishes — they’re the foundation, scooped up by hand to carry the rich, flavourful sauces that define the cuisine. Get to know them in our fufu guide and banku & tilapia guide.
The dishes you have to try
A few dishes are non-negotiable. Jollof rice — smoky, tomato-rich, the subject of fierce regional pride — is the one everyone knows. Waakye, a beloved rice-and-beans breakfast piled with sides, is pure local soul food. Banku with grilled tilapia and fiery pepper sauce is a coastal classic. And the soups — light soup, groundnut (peanut) soup, palm-nut soup — served with fufu, are the comforting heart of home cooking. Save room for kelewele, the addictive spiced fried plantain sold on street corners after dark.
How Ghanaians eat
Part of the joy is the ritual. Many staples are eaten with the right hand (never the left — see our etiquette guide), pinching off a piece of fufu or banku to scoop the soup — and you don’t chew the fufu so much as swallow it. Meals are often communal and generous, and food is love here; accept it graciously. Don’t be shy to eat like a local — ask, watch, and dive in. A bowl of water for washing hands usually appears; use it.
Where to eat: from chop bars to fine dining
The best Ghanaian food is rarely in the fanciest room. Chop bars — humble, local eateries — serve the most authentic home-style cooking for a pittance, while street food is a cuisine in itself (eat it smartly — see our street food safety guide). For something smarter, Accra’s restaurant scene spans elevated Ghanaian cooking to global flavours. Wash it all down with the local drinks, from sobolo to Star beer.
Come with an open mouth
Ghanaian food rewards the adventurous. Try the staple you can’t pronounce, brave the pepper, eat with your hands, follow the crowds to the busy stall. It’s one of the most direct and joyful ways into Ghanaian culture — and you’ll go home craving it. Use the guides above to plan your eating, and build a few food experiences into your itinerary.
Common questions about Ghanaian food
What is the national dish of Ghana? Jollof rice is the most iconic, though fufu with soup and waakye are equally beloved staples.
What do Ghanaians eat? Starchy staples — fufu, banku, kenkey, rice, yam, plantain — paired with rich soups, stews and pepper sauces, plus grilled fish and meats.
Is Ghanaian food spicy? Often, yes — pepper (chilli) is central, especially in the sauces and shito (a dark pepper sauce). You can ask for milder versions.
How do you eat Ghanaian food? Many staples like fufu and banku are eaten with the right hand, pinched off to scoop up soup or stew, often from a communal bowl.