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Christmas in Ghana is a joyous time filled with lively celebrations, time spent with loved ones, attendance at church services, and of course, delicious food. Many Ghanaians return home to their families during the Christmas season, traveling from cities where they work back to their hometowns.
Preparations for Christmas feasts begin early, with trips to the market to purchase ingredients for traditional Ghana Christmas food that have been passed down for generations.
On Christmas Eve, the starts off with lively parades through the streets featuring people dressed in colorful masks and costumes dancing to the sound of brass bands. At midnight, church bells ring out to announce the arrival of Christmas Day. Christmas morning starts off with church services where people dress in their finest traditional clothing to give thanks and praise.
After church services on Christmas morning, families gather together for a mouthwatering Christmas feast (Ghana Christmas food). Ghana Christmas food are as diverse as the country itself, varying from region to region. However, there are a few staples that can be found on dining tables across the country. These dishes have become Christmas classics after being prepared year after year by Ghanaian families during the holiday season.
Popular Ghana Christmas food
Appetizers
Ghanaians love starting their hearty Christmas meals with a few lighter dishes and appetizers. Popular Christmas appetizers include:
Kelewele
Kelewele is fried ripe plantain seasoned beautifully with spices. This sweet yet spicy appetizer whets the appetite perfectly before it’s served with heavier dishes. Sliced ripe plantains are seasoned with a blend of ginger, anise spice and pepper before being lightly fried to golden perfection a captivating Ghana Christmas food.
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Plantain Chips
Another popular appetizer option are lightly salted plantain chips. Fresh yams are sliced thinly and seasoned with salt before being deep fried. The plantain slices come out crispy on the outside while staying soft and fluffy on the inside. Plantain chips pair excellently with spicy or savory sauce, Yam chips are also staple Ghana Christmas food depends on personal preferences.
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Main Dishes
The focal point of Ghana Christmas food are the hearty main dishes featuring flavorful sauces and stews served with staples like rice, yams and banku. Popular Ghanaian main dishes enjoyed during the holidays include:
Jollof Rice
Jollof rice is a popular Ghana Christmas food just like other west African food it is often served with spicy and delicious chicken. Vegetables and seasonings like bay leaves and nutmeg are simmered together to form a flavor-packed stew. This stew is then used to cook rice, infusing it with magnificent flavor. Jollof rice is served heaping, often in the shape of a dome or volcano, garnished brightly with vegetables.
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Fufu and Light Soup
Another beloved Ghana Christmas food is fufu served with light soup packed with chicken, fish, or goat meat. Fufu is a staple made from cassava and green plantain or yams, pounded together to form a dough-like consistency. It is formed into balls and dipped heartily into the flavorful light soup bursting with meat, fish, onions and tomatoes.
Waakye with Shito and Fish
Waakye is a mouthwatering rice and bean dish spruced up with vegetables and protein. Rice is cooked together with black eyed peas(beans) then served heaped on a platter next to sides of delicately fried fish, hard boiled eggs, shito pepper sauce and sliced avocado. This satisfying spread is a favorite Ghana Christmas food.
Banku and Okro Soup
Another traditional Ghanaian dish enjoyed during the holidays is steamed banku served alongside okro soup. Banku is prepared by steaming a fermented dough made of maize and cassava. The smooth, stretchy banku is best enjoyed by tearing pieces with the hand and dunking them into bowls of okro soup teeming with okra, shrimp and fish.
Ampesi and Palava Sauce
Ampesi, a beloved Ghanaian cowpea and plantain fritter, is served drizzled with moreish palava sauce as a Christmas treat. Sweet plantains and brown cowpeas are mashed together to form patties which are then fried to golden perfection. These fritters are served with palava sauce – a vegetable medley featuring carrots, peppers, onions and tomatoes stewed in a zesty broth.
Kokonte and Groundnut Soup
Kokonte, a creamy Ghanaian pudding made from fresh corn flour, cassava and rice flour makes the perfect alternative to fufu during Christmas. The smooth, subtly sweet pudding is served with traditional groundnut soup brimming with chicken, fish and hearty peanut flavor for a warming Christmas dish.
Roasted Guinea Fowl
For the main protein, some families opt to roast an entire guinea fowl seasoned beautifully with rosemary, thyme and garlic. The succulent roasted bird is served on a bed of jollof or waakye rice and makes a spectacular Christmas main dish option. Drippings from the bird are used to prepare a simple, yet sublime pan gravy for pouring over the rice.
Ghana drinks
Ghanaians also top it up with their variety of celebratory beverages to enjoy with their holiday feasts. Popular Christmas drinks include:
Sobolo
Sobolo is a refreshing blood-red drink made from roselle leaves steeped with ginger and garnished with pineapple. Tart, sweet and spicy, icy cold sobolo makes a lively Christmas drink.
Asana
Asana is a cinnamon-spiced Ghanaian drink that warms you from the inside out during Christmas. The aromatic blend featuring pineapple, orange and ginger can be enjoyed hot or iced.
Palm Wine
Locally harvested palm wine straight from the tree also graces holiday tables. Sweet palm wine brought directly from the source makes a wonderfully festive Christmas drink in Ghana.
Fruit Juice Blends
Ghanaians also mix up all kinds of fruit juices to create their own blended fruit punch beverages for Christmas. Guava, passionfruit, pineapple and orange juices are often blended together with soda water and served garnished brightly with fruit slices or berries.
Pito (Burkina)
Pito is a beloved fermented drink made from millet or sorghum that makes frequent appearances during holiday celebrations. Sweet, tangy and ever so slightly alcoholic, pito adds a dash of festivity to Christmas meals.
With its lively parades, church services and huge feasts featuring these mouthwatering dishes, Christmas in Ghana is truly a magical time filled with unique traditions. Families reconnect over flavorful homecooked meals, forging memories that will last a lifetime during this most wonderful time of the year.
