Breakfast is generally known as the first meal of the day. This is supposed to be the base on which the full day’s activities are built. Ideally,a heavy base is considered the best.However,many nutritionists have indicated that breakfast should be taken light. Something not too heavy but just enough to keep you going till your next meal. The term basically means breaking the fast of the previous night.
Breakfast varies from place to place with different continents and countries taking breakfast in many different forms. The basic ingredients are however common to all irrespective of the country or continent. Carbohydrates form the greater components of many breakfasts around the world.
Protein and vitamin components are also present. Many breakfast meals are either liquid based or come out in the form of paste with sugar and milk being added to mostly improve the taste. In Ghana,breakfast is not entirely popular in many parts.
It is believed to be a meal for the “elite” or “well to do’ as the average Ghanaian would prefer a heavy brunch or wait till lunch to eat something heavy. Breakfast is almost extinct in our homes these days but there are a few Ghanaian breakfast options that you may always overlook.
Here are a few of them to consider next time you plan on having breakfast.
(i) “Hausa Koko” (Millet porridge) with Koose
Hausa Koko is simply a thick flowing tasty solution made from millet with a few local spices added to give it a particular taste and colour. It is called “Hausa Koko” because of it’s popularity in the northern areas and is believed to have been first made by the Hausas. Sugar,milk and groundnuts are added to give it a very delicious taste. Hausa Koko is mostly served with “Koose”, a millet based paste which is made into balls and fried in vegetable oil. Some people also take Hausa Koko with bread or a local accompaniment called “pinkaso”
(ii) “KOKO with Bofroat” (corn dough porridge with buffloaf)
Mostly found around the coastal areas of Ghana,‘’koko’’is mainly a paste made by boiling a mixture of corn dough and water. The corn dough is allowed to boil in water for a while and is stirred till a uniform paste is formed. To give it a great taste,sugar and milk is added to it. “Koko is usually accompanied by buffloaf (popularly called bofroat) or bread. It is very delicious and can sometimes be taken as supper depending on one’s cravings.
(iii) Rice Water
As its name implies,rice water is simply rice boiled with lots of water till it softens into a soluble paste. It is also eaten with sugar and milk added to improve upon the taste. Rice water is accompanied with bread or biscuits. It is often eaten by very busy people because it requires very little technique and is very easy to cook.
(iv) Tom Brown
Tom Brown is the popular name given to a kind of porridge made from roasted corn. The roasted corn is grinded and used to make a fluid looking paste. Sugar and milk are added to improve its taste. This meal is accompanied by biscuits or bread and is very high in carbohydrates. many eat this is rotation to either white porridge or hausa koko.
(v) Waakye
This is not your typical breakfast but has been included due to its popularity in recent times. Waakye,which is a mixture of boiled beans and rice eaten with “gari” and a locally made sauce called “shito” accompanied with eggs,fish or meat is now one of the most popular early morning meals in Ghana. Many people form long queues just to get hold of this Ghanaian meal. Corporate workers,manual workers,students etc have all fallen for this new delicacy. With it’s high carbohydrate and protein content,waakye is now a breakfast meal you cannot resist in Ghana.
Although it is not typical Ghanaian culture to have breakfast,there are several locally made nutritious breakfast options available. Anytime you are in Ghana,don’t go hungry because you lack options. Try any of these and you will never want to try any other country’s breakfast.