May 3, 2017

Fufu for Beginners

Fufu transcends regional boundaries in Ghana. Fufu consists of a sticky ball of pounded vegetables in a bowl of one of three main soups.

In the south of Ghana, the fufu tends to be made from boiled and pounded cassava and plantain, whereas in Tamale and further north, fufu is made from pounded yam*. 

After boiling, the vegetables are pounded in a large wooden mortar with a four foot long wooden pole as a pestle. One or two people hold the pole and pound, while one person sits by the bowl and turns the sticky ball. It's a somewhat dangerous and highly skilled ritual that takes place every day across Ghana.

Check out this  YouTube video to learn about pounding fufu in Ghana. 

Would you be brave enough to flip the fufu in the bowl with your hand?


* Unlike the small, orange or purplish vegetable known by most North Americans as yam, Ghanaian yams are white on the inside and brown and woody on the outside. They are approximately 16 to 20 inches long and weigh more than three pounds, on average."

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