Let’s Document Asante Indigenous Foods – Akosua Frema Opare

The Chief of Staff of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has proffered the documentation of indigenous Asante meals in their preservation and passage to the next generation.

Speaking at the Queen Mothers’ Day and Food Fair at the Manhyia Palace on April 22, 2024, Hon Akosua Fremah Osei Opare said that food is an indispensable part of culture which must be consciously preserved.

She recognizes that most Asante indigenous meals are losing their relevance as generations pass by and believes compiling them into a recipe book is the best way to keep their memories and savour alive among families and restaurants.

“Culture is not all about what we wear. What we eat is also part. Today, we see a lot of meals fading away. But many of the meals which have gone extinct have been displayed here on this occasion. The healthy meals are suffering extinction, Thank you for organizing this food fair.

“These meals are at the brink of extinction and so I suggest we compile their recipes in a document. I urge organisers of this event to do well and document them in a recipe book and name it ‘Asanteman Traditional Recipes’.”

This she said, will influence the menu of restaurants and increase tourism while subsequent generations would not be deprived the honour of knowing the meals their ancestors lived by.

The event organized as part of the various programmes to mark the 25th Enstoolment Anniversary of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, saw various sumptuous-looking and appetite-whetting traditional delicacies revived in the current age.

Meals including fufu and abunuabunu soup, ogoo, ofam, mpotompoto and nuhu alien to the current generation were brought back. There were also traditional drinks like palm wine on display.

The meals were prepared by the various queen mothers in the Kingdom and mounted in stands accordingly.

Commending the brains behind the event, Abena Amponsah, a woman who joined, underscored the health benefits of the age-old meals.

“The food we eat today is not healthy. In the olden days, the meals we prepared were full of nutrients. People have stopped eating taro leaves. Many kids do not like its stew,” she told opemsuo.com.

A rep of Goasohemaa Nana Afia Serwaa, who added palm wine to their food suite told opemsuo.com there was the need to serve some traditional wine as the Chief Palmwine Tapper is from Goaso.

“We prepared ogoo. Mashed roasted plantain and dried tilapia. We also prepared plantain and taro leaves stew the traditional way. It has no spices. It has a natural flavour. We also prepared fufu and abunuabunu. It has some meat like snail,” she outlined.

She believes the event was important as the new generation would become familiar with them.

Meanwhile, the Asonafikese Baapanyin of New Adubiase, Nana Akua Dwira who introduced the world to the Asante version of a cake, gave opemsuo.com the recipe.

“Ofam is the Asante’s cake. It is lasting. It is made with ingredients like dried herring, ginger, maize, and ripped plantain. They are grinded together and baked.”