In the vibrant tapestry of West African cuisine, few dishes hold as much cultural significance as fufu. Made from cassava, yams, or plantains, this starchy staple has gained popularity in Ghana and Nigeria, sparking a heated discussion about its real origins between the two countries.
The discussion of fufu encompasses more than just cuisine; it captures ingrained cultural identities, culinary customs, and a common history that unites West Africans.
A Florida-based food critic took to his Instagram page to give a review of Ghanaian and Nigerian fufu. In the video, after tasting Ghanaian fufu, made with pounded cassava and plantain, complimented with peanut butter soup and proteins, he stated that the fufu was sticky and didn't feel good in his mouth, but he enjoyed the peanut butter soup.
He also tasted Nigerian fufu, made from soaked, fermented, and boiled cassava dough with egusi soup. After trying the food, he noted that he liked the taste of the Nigerian fufu because it was smooth and did not choke him when he swallowed it.
This review by the food critic sparked a debate about the origin of fufu. Many argued that fufu traditionally originated from Ghana. They expressed their displeasure with the food critic's review and noted that he always picks Nigerian meals over Ghanaian ones, calling him a hypocrite.
Following this, many Ghanaians noted that fufu did not originate in Nigeria and the true origin of fufu is Ghana. However, some Nigerians also asserted that fufu originated in Nigeria and not Ghana.
Read some comments about the debate below
yes___golden: "Fufu is mainly a Ghanaian food… an Akan word"
queensarah_official: "Why do y’all Ghanaians feel the need to compare everything with Nigerians?? Nawa ooo! Grow up pls!"
cousin.rocky: "Nigerian fufu isn’t even fufu fr. Its pounded yam lol"
fendi.xie: "Fufu is Ghanaian culturally and traditionally. Others don’t make fufu so I don’t why they call it fufu"
distantobserver1: "Ghana 🇬🇭"
kobes_tone: "Let me unfollow you, you've never rated anything Ghanaian to be better or good."
gdgems: "Only one country makes fufu, that’s Ghana where the term comes from and it’s usually made with cassava and unripe plantains. No competition."
_henryboateng: "Ghana fufu all the way...Omo naija is that soup???"
itsmesakada: "You obviously don’t know what fufu is. What you’re eating from Nigeria is not fufu."
aquaticozephyriuzov: "Nigeria for the win"
Chdeck out the video below
GA
