Kenkey

Ghanaian fermented corn dumplings: the great everyday staple of the Ga and Fante peoples, tangy, dense, and inseparable from the stews and soups of coastal West Africa

Origin: Ghana, West Africa

From the journey of Corn.

Kenkey is the food at the centre of Ghanaian daily life. Made from fermented corn dough (left to sour for two to three days before being partially cooked, wrapped in dried corn husks, and steamed) it has the dense, tangy character of all the great fermented staples of the world. The Portuguese brought corn to the Gold Coast in the early 16th century, and West African cooks incorporated it with extraordinary speed, adapting their existing grain fermentation traditions, already used with millet and sorghum, to the new crop. Two styles exist: Ga kenkey (Ga people, wrapped in corn husks, from Accra) and Fante kenkey (Fante people, wrapped in banana leaves, from Cape Coast). Both are eaten with grilled tilapia, shito (black pepper sauce), and raw onion; a combination that is the street food heartbeat of Accra.

Ingredients

Fermented dough

500 g white cornmeal (fine-ground)
500 ml water (for fermenting)

Seasoning

1 tsp fine salt

Wrapping

6 large dried corn husks (or banana leaf squares), soaked until pliable

Cooking

500 ml boiling water (for cooking the dough)

Method

Day 1–3: Mix the cornmeal with water to form a thick, smooth paste. Cover loosely with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 2–3 days to ferment. The dough will sour and develop small bubbles. It should smell pleasantly tangy; like a mild sourdough.
On cooking day, divide the fermented dough in half. Set one half aside.
Bring 500ml of water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add salt. Stir in the first half of the dough, working quickly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10–12 minutes until the dough is thick, smooth, and pulling away from the sides; this is the 'aflata' (partially cooked dough).
Remove from heat. Stir in the reserved raw fermented dough. Mix thoroughly: the raw dough provides the final sour flavour and a lighter texture.
Take a softened corn husk. Place a large ball of dough (about 200g) in the centre. Fold the husk around it tightly, tucking the ends underneath. Tie with strips of husk or twine.
Place the wrapped kenkey balls in a large pot over a trivet or folded cloth. Add boiling water to come halfway up the parcels. Cover tightly and steam for 50–60 minutes, checking water levels and topping up as needed.
Remove from pot and cool for 10 minutes before unwrapping. Serve with fried fish, shito sauce, sliced onion, and fresh tomato.

Notes

Kenkey is one of the great fermented foods of the world; its tangy depth is the product of the same lactic acid fermentation found in sourdough bread, kimchi, and injera. It keeps for several days at room temperature and improves as it ages. Fante kenkey, wrapped in banana leaves, has a more grassy, tropical flavour. Both types are always eaten by hand: a piece broken off and dipped into soup or used to scoop up stew.

The Gastrographer

Name: Kenkey
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: West Africa
Ingredients: 500 g white cornmeal (fine-ground); 500 ml water (for fermenting); 1 tsp fine salt; 6 large dried corn husks (or banana leaf squares), soaked until pliable; 500 ml boiling water (for cooking the dough)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control