Fufu
Africa's pounded cassava dumpling
Think of it as: Like a big, plain ball of stretchy mashed potato
Chewing is cheating. Just swallow.
What does it taste like?
Almost no flavor of its own, just a soft, sticky dough. It takes on the flavor of whatever soup it's dipped in.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureChewy and sticky
What is it?
Boiled cassava and green plantain, pounded with a mortar and pestle into a smooth, stretchy dough. Locals dip it in soup and swallow it without chewing.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Pinch off a small piece with your right hand, roll it into a ball, dip it in soup and swallow without chewing.
Watch it
EnglishTap to play (YouTube)Where is it from?
🇬🇭Ghana
CapitalAccra
Populationabout 35.7 millionUN estimate for 2026
IndustriesCocoa bean exports, Gold mining, Oil
Common surnamesMensah (most common)From national statistics and surname surveys; rankings vary by source
Famous peopleKofi AnnanServed as UN Secretary-General and won the Nobel Peace Prize
HelloAkwaaba (welcome)
CurrencyCedi
And JapanHideyo Noguchi researched yellow fever here and died in the capital, Accra. Much of the cocoa used for chocolate is also from Ghana
Fun factThe first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence (1957)
The flag🇬🇭 Red is the blood shed for independence, yellow is gold and other resources, green is the forests, and the black star is African freedom.
From Tokyoabout 13,800 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Accra
Getting thereabout 20 hours from Tokyo (with transfers)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeThe dry season from November to March is best. Also tryKenkeyWaakyeKelewele
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeThe dry season from November to March is best. Also tryKenkeyWaakyeKelewele
🇬🇭 Sounds & life in Ghana
HelloHello（Akwaaba (welcome)）
Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
Right now…
Anthem"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana"
MusicHighlife Bright dance music with guitars and horns
SportSoccer
Abedi Pele (soccer; African Footballer of the Year three times) World HeritageForts and Castles of Ghana (Cape Coast Castle and more) and more FestivalHomowo (around August, harvest festival of the Ga people)
MusicHighlife Bright dance music with guitars and horns
SportSoccer
Abedi Pele (soccer; African Footballer of the Year three times) World HeritageForts and Castles of Ghana (Cape Coast Castle and more) and more FestivalHomowo (around August, harvest festival of the Ga people)
Ingredients
- Cassava 500 g
- Green plantains (cooking bananas) 2
- (Or instead) Fufu flour 1 bag
Can't find it? Instead of cassava or yam, knead mashed potato with potato starch for something close.
How to make it (one way)
- Peel the cassava and plantains and cut into chunks
- Boil for about 30 minutes until soft
- Put them in a mortar and pound with a pestle, adding water little by little, until smooth and dough-like
- Wet your hands, shape into balls, and serve with peanut soup or egusi soup
- With fufu flour, just add it to hot water and knead it in a pot