FOOD STUFFS IN

GHANA

TETTEH BERNICE (10340856)

FPEN 405: Engineering and Design

Food Processing Engineering Department

Faculty of Engineering Science

INTRODUCTION

Ghanaians since time immemorial have enjoyed and consumed food crops of various types. These

food stuffs mostly from tubers, cereal, legumes, fruits, vegetables and herbs. Most food crops are

grown in the hinterlands and transported nationwide for consumption. Others are locally originated

and others are grown from foreign seeds. Agriculture and its related occupations support 80% of

Ghana’s economy. Most food products are bought in their raw state and others processed by

fermentation, drying, canning etc.

Most food products are sold in the general markets under the exposure to all condition whether

good or bad. A survey on the food crops that are sold in Ghana resulted in the classification below;

TUBERS

Yam, Cassava, Coco yam, Potatoes,

VEGETABLES

Garden Eggs, tomatoes, celery, spinach, radishes, green pepper, sweet pepper, cabbage, lettuce,

carrots, squash, pumpkin, and collard greens etc.

FRUITS

Mango, pineapple, blackberries, dates, pear, orange, banana, plums, pawpaw, kumquats, ‘alasa*,

avocado, cocoa, dates, serendipity berry etc.

Spices

Aidan tree fruits, calabash nutmeg, Negro pepper, grains of paradise, nutmeg, cloves, etc.

There are more fruits which are indigenous to Africa especially, West Africa. Some include ‘prekese’,

‘alasa’, Negro pepper etc.

VEGETABLES

PICTURE NAME DESCRIPTION USES

Bell pepper also

Capsicum

annuum

Is a member of the

Capsicum genus, it

is the only

Capsicum that does

not produce

capsaicin, a

lipophilic chemical

that can cause a

strong burning

sensation when it

comes in contact

with mucous

membranes.

Used in cooking

and serve as a

vegetable in

various Ghanaian

diahes. It is used

in stews, salad,

coleslaw, fried

rice etc.

Carrot, also as

Daucus carota.

Is a root vegetable,

usually orange in

colour, though

purple, red, white,

and yellow varieties

exists. It has a crisp

texture when fresh.

The most

commonly eaten

part of a carrot is

the taproot,

although the greens

are sometimes eaten

as well.

Carrots are widely

used in many

cuisines,

especially in the

preparation of

salads, drinks and

stews. Also

extracts are used

in beauty creams

and cosmetics.

Cucumber, also

known as

Cucumis sativus

The fruit of the

cucumber is

roughly cylindrical,

elongated with

tapered ends, and

may be as large as

60cm long and 10

cm in diameter.

They are usually

more than 90%

water.

Much like

tomatoes and

squash they are

often also

perceived,

prepared and

eaten as

vegetables. Can

be used in

cosmetic products

as body creams

and face wipes.

Squash also

known as

Cucurbita

moschata

Is a special type of

berry with a thick

outer wall or rind

formed from

hypanthium tissue

fused to the

exocarp; the fleshy

interior is

composed of

mesocarp and

endocarp.

Squash are

represented

frequently in Art

Moche ceramics

It is also used in

cooking. The

seeds are also

used for flour,

eaten raw or

pressed for oil.

PICTURE NAME DESCRIPTION USES

Cabbage also

known as

Brassica

oleracea.

Cabbage heads

generally range

from 0.5 to 4 kg,

and can be green,

purple and white.

Most cabbages have

thick, alternating

leaves, with margins

that range from

wavy or lobed to

highly dissected.

Cabbage is

prepared and

consumed in

many ways.

creating dishes

such as

sauerkraut,

cabbage stew,

coleslaw and

stews.

Jute, Ademe

(Togo), Ewedu

(Nigeria),

Mulukhiyah

(Arabic) also

with scientific

name as

Corchorus

olitorius.

The leaves are

alternate, simple,

lanceolate, 5–15 cm

long, with an

acuminate tip and a

finely serrated or

lobed margin. When

boiled, the resulting

liquid is a thick,

highly mucilaginous

broth, slimy," like

cooked okra

Corchorus used

mainly in the

cuisines of

southern Asia

and Africa. Its

used for Tuo

zaafi soups and

banku soups in

conjunction

with okra.

Celery also as

Apium

graveolens var.

dulce

The plant grows to

1 m tall. The leaves

are pinnate to

bipinnate leaves

with rhombic

leaflets 3–6 cm long

and 2–4 cm broad.

Commonly used as

vegetable.

Seeds are used

in pills for

relieving pain

and also used to

reduce blood

pressure. Celery

is used in

weight-loss

diets

Spinach

Spinacia

oleracea

Spinach is a leave

which is alternate,

simple, and ovate to

triangular based,

very variable in size

from about 2–30 cm

long and 1–15 cm

broad.

Used in

cooking to

make purees,

soups, salads

etc.

PICTURE NAME DESCRIPTION USES

kontomire (taro

leaves)

Taro leaves are

heart-shaped, bright

to deep green and

they can span over

a foot in diameter.

The underside of

the leaves have

veins that branch

out from the stem.

It is a popular

vegetable for local

sauces such as

palaver sauce and

agushi stew. It is

used for soups like

abunubunu. It is

good source of

vitamins A and C.

Green beans

Phaseolus

vulgaris

Green beans (which

may be other colors

as well, and are

also referred to as

string beans) have

long, edible pods

and small inner

beans.

It can be cooked

and eaten raw, or

used in stews,

soups etc. Green

beans are often

steamed, boiled,

stir-fried, or bake

in casseroles.

White Radishes

Raphanus sativus

Radishes are round

to cylindrical with a

color ranging from

white to red. A

longer root form,

ideal for cooking,

grows up to 15 cm

(6 in) long.

Used in cooking

for soups, salad,

juices etc. in da

industry, the seed

can be pressed for

cooking oil.

Citizens of

Oaxaca, Mexico,

celebrate the

radish in a festival

called Noche de

los Rábanos

Collard greens

also known as

Brassica

oleracea. Locally

known as

“Boma”.

It does not have the

usual close-knit

core of leaves (a

"head") like

cabbage. It has an

upright stalk, often

growing up to two

feet tall. The plant

is very similar to

kale.

Used in ooking of

soups. Can replace

lettuce and used

for salads and

coleslaw.

Pepper Capsicum

The fruits,

commonly known

as "chilies" or "chili

peppers," are fiery

red or green pods

which rarely grow

to more than 4

inches in length.

Apart from its use

as season, It

decongest,

relieves tooth

ache, scares away

ants and pets

along with a few

household

substances

including

cinnamon and

vinegar.

Tomato

It’s the fruit of the

plant Solanum

lycopersicum. It is

spherical, some

ranging from 2-10

cm diameter. It has

edible seed is and

soft exocarp and

mesocarp.

Used in almost

every Ghanaian

cuisine namely

soups, stews,

sauce, salads, pies

etc. used for

tomato juice.

PICTURES NAME DESCRIPTION USES

Yam Dioscorea

alata

Yams are brown in

colour on the

outside, but the

flesh is white,

yellow or red.

Their weight

varies between 2

and 5

kilogrammes.

Cooked/fried/

baked and eaten.

Use in traditional

Chinese herbal

medicine. Used

also for

puddings, soups

etc.

Cassava also

known as

manihot

esculanta

The cassava root is

long and tapered,

with a firm,

homogeneous

flesh encased in a

detachable rind,

about 1mm thick,

rough and brown

on the outside.

Cassava roots are

very rich in starch.

Used as dishes

like fufu, eba and

tapioca. Also use

as a source of

biofuel, animal

feed and

medicine.

Coco Yam

Xanthosoma

sagitollium

It is a perennial,

tropical plant

primarily grown as

a root vegetable

for its edible

starchy corm. The

corm grows to the

size of turnip, has

a globular or

oblong shape with

brown fibrous

skin.

It is used for

fufu, puddings

and soups. In

addition, it has

very good

amounts of

potassium which

is good for

regulating blood

pressure.

Beet Roots

Beta vulgaris

This is a deep red

root of the beet

plant and is

spherical and

tapered at the

ends.

The usually deep

red roots of

beetroot are

eaten either

grilled, boiled, or

roasted as a

cooked

vegetable. Used

industrially as

red food

colorants to

improve tomato

paste. Beetroot

dye may also be

used in ink

OTHERS

Pictures

Plantain

Cacalia

plantaginea

Plantains are a

starchy, unsweet

variety of banana

that are inedible

raw and must be

cooked before

eating. Most are

larger and slightly

more angular in

shape, than

‘sweet’ bananas.

They are usually

baked, fried,

boiled and eaten.

It can be used for

fritters, chips,

juice, fufu etc.

Tilapia

Oreochromis

niloticus

Tilapia have

laterally

compressed

bodies. Tilapia

have a long dorsal

fin, and a lateral

line which often

breaks towards

the end of the

dorsal fin, and

starts again two or

three rows of

scales below.

Used in soups,

stews etc. used as

a control method

of choice, for

reducing or

eliminating the

use of toxic

chemicals and

heavy metal-

based algaecides.

Tilapia help

purify water .

Cat Fish

Ictalurus

punctatus

Channel catfish

have a top-end

size of about 18–

23 kg. Most have

a cylindrical body

with a flattened

ventrum. Catfish

have no scales

and has four pairs

of barbels

(whiskers).

Used as food.

Locally dried and

added to soups. In

parts of America

it is roasted and

eaten with rice

and corn bread.

Herrings Clupea

harengus

Their size varies

between

subspecies. These

fishe have a

single dorsal fin,

which is soft,

without spines.

They have no

lateral line and

have a protruding

lower jaw.

Adult herring are

harvested for their

flesh and eggs,

and they are often

used as baitfish.

They are used in

many dishes. In

soups, stews,

sauces etc.

Crabs Pithirus

pubis

They live in all

the world's

oceans, in fresh

water, and on

land, are

generally covered

with a thick

exoskeleton and

have a single pair

of claws. Crabs

vary in size

depending on

their species,

Crabs are

prepared and

eaten as a dish in

several different

ways all over

Ghana. They are

used in okra

stews, aprapransa

etc.

.

Ginger

Zingiber

officinale

It is the rhizome

of the plant

Zingiber

officinale.

It is consumed as

a delicacy,

medicine, or

spice. Ginger is

often used as

landscaping

around

subtropical

homes. Ginger

also acts as a

useful food

preservative.

Sorghum

Sorghum

bicolor

These are grains

or seeds from the

sorghum plant.

The seed is

rounded and

bluntly pointed,

from 4 – 8 mm in

diameter and

varying in size,

shape and colour

with cultivar.

Some are reddish

and others

ranging from

green to pale ash.

Used for food (as

grain and in

sorghum syrup or

"sorghum

molasses"),

fodder, the

production of

alcoholic

beverages, and

biofuels

Used for a

popular alcoholic

drink called pito

and burukutu.

Pearl Millet,

Pennisetum

glaucum

Grains of pearl

millet are about 3

to 4 mm long, and

one third the size

of sorghum. The

pearl millet grain

has great

variation, and can

be nearly white,

pale yellow,

brown, grey, slate

blue or purple.

They can be

globular, obovate

and elliptical in

shape.

Used for the

preparation of

alcoholic

beverages like

pito and burukutu.

When combined

with wheat, it can

be used for flat

breads. Used as

food, example

porridge etc.

Pineapple

Ananas comosus

It is a cone shaped

juicy, fleshy fruit

to 30cm or more

in height, with the

stem serving as

the fibrous but

fairly succulent

core. The flesh is

a tough, waxy

rind, made up of

hexagonal units,

may be dark

green or yellow.

Used all over the

country in drinks,

juices, cakes etc.

it has an

ornamental value.

Used in folk

medicine and

serve as animal

feed (peels).

Millet Leaves, These are grass-

like leaves of the

millet plant which

has been dried. It

has a reddish

brown colour.

These are sun-

dried leaves or

stalks of the

millet plant used

to impart a

reddish colouring

to waakye.

Palm oil

It is a yellowish

fatty oil obtained

from the crushed

nuts of an African

palm (Elaeis

guineensis)

Used in cooking.

Also, used in the

manufacture of

soaps, chocolates,

cosmetics, and

candles.

Eggs An egg is like a

prolate spheroid It

is surrounded by a

thin, hard

shell. Inside, the

egg yolk is

suspended in the

egg white by

spiral bands

called Chalazae.

Chicken eggs are

widely used in

many types of

dishes, pastries,

stews, coleslaw

etc.

Garden eggs The egg-shaped

fruit has a white

flesh with a meaty

texture. It

Used in

preparation of

stew, soups and

Contains

numerous small,

soft seeds which

are edible. The

fruit is less than

3cm in diameter.

can be eaten raw

if it is peeled.

Cloves Cloves are

brown, dried,

unopened flower

buds of Syzygium

aromaticum, an

evergreen tree in

the myrtle family

Often used in

cooking to add

flavour. Used in

preparation of

sobolo. For

aromatherapy and

relieves tooth

ache.

Tetrapleura

tetraptera , the

fruit from the

Aidan tree.

It is 25 cm long. It

is shiny, glabrous,

dark brown, 15-

25 cm long,5 cm

across, with 4

longitudinal, wing

like ridges ( 3cm)

broad. Two of the

wings are woody,

the other two

filled with soft,

sugary pulp, oily

and aromatic.

The fruit pulp is

rich in sugars and

may be used in

flavouring food.

It is used as

perfumes and in

pomades prepared

from palm oil.

The fruit pulp is

rich in sugars and

may be used as a

food flavour.

Dawadawa

(fermented

locust bean)

Made from locust

beans, boiled and

fermented. It is

sold in balls or

patties.

Is a condiment

added to some

foods to impart a

particular flavour.

Mushrooms Mushrooms have

a round shape

with flared edges

like an

umbrella. The cap

is connected to a

stem, there are

different sizes

depending on

their variety.

Mushrooms are

used extensively

in cooking, in

many cuisines.

Can substitute

meat in vegetarian

diet.

Coconut Cocos

nucifera

It has 3 layers:

the exocarp, meso

carp, endocarp.

The exocarp and

mesocarp make

up the "husk" of

the coconut. A

full-sized coconut

weighs about

1.44 kg.

Can be used for

oil, flour and

milk. The coconut

shell may also be

ground down and

added to products

for exfoliation of

dead skin.

Garlic Alluim

Sativum

Used for

both culinary and

medicinal

purposes. It

reduces the

accumulation of

cholesterol on the

vascular walls.

Prevents

and fights Cold.

Palm fruit

Borassus

flabellifer

The fruit of the

palm tree

measures 4 to

7 inches in

diameter, has a

black and

orange-red husk,

and is borne in

clusters. They

have high amount

of fatty acids.

Cooked and used

for soups. Oils

can be extracted

for consumption,

biodiesels,

cosmetic products

and creams.

Alasa A bitter fruit,

usually of

diameter 4cm. the

mesocarp is

gummy when

chewed. The

exocarp of the

seeds is very

sweet.

Eaten raw as fruit.

Grains of

paradise/

alligator pepper.

Aframomum

melegueta

Is a pungent,

peppery seeds

obtained from

ground plants.

Used as season in

food. Used in

craft beers and

gin.

Bissap

Hibiscus

sabdariffa

This is a specie of

the hibiscus

known as Roselle,

it is dried and

shredded.

Mostly used for

Sobolo, helps in

weight losses and

lowers blood

pressure.

Calabash

nutmeg

Monodora

myristica

the fruit of a

tropical shrub

(Monodora

myristica) has

many aromatic

seeds that are

used like

nutmegs.

This is used as a

season in foods

and has medicinal

purposes.

Agushi,

Seeds of

Cucurbitaceae

seeds of a species

of Cucurbitaceae

(which includes

gourds,

melons, pumpkins

and squashes)

Used in soups,

stews (palava

sauce)

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of food stuffs both indigenous and imported. This include fruits, varieties of tubers,

vegetables and spices. The most staple amongst these food stuffs is cassava and maize. These food

stuffs can be purchased in open markets and sometimes in supermarkets.

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