Eating Etiquette

Ghana is a small African country with formal mannerisms that are unfamiliar to many. Ghanan cuisine consists of a lot of hot and spicy foods, with specialties including a dish made of root vegetables served with a spicy sauce, known as ‘ampesi’ and ‘fufu’ which is a dish containing fresh spiced vegetables and soft, fluffy dough. Ghana is also a largely Muslim country, so again for African dining etiquette here, the same rules apply as they do in other Muslim countries such as Egypt. You should wait for someone to tell you where you have to sit and before taking a seat, you should always greet the elders of the family.

You should always remove your shoes before entering a Ghanan home, your hands should be washed before and after eating, and you should hold cutlery in your right hand. A wash basin is got out before, you can use that to wash your hands. The meal should always begin after the eldest male of the family starts eating. The food is usually served out of a big bowl that is common to all the people and food is eaten with hands. The left hand should not be used for eating.