Fufu
Soft pounded staple eaten with rich, brothy soups. · Ghana
Soft pounded staple eaten with rich, brothy soups.
About Fufu
Cassava and plantain are boiled and pounded into a smooth, stretchy dough, torn off and dipped into hearty soups like light soup or groundnut soup. It is a cornerstone of West African dining, swallowed rather than chewed.
🏛️ History & Culture
Fufu’s precise origins are debated, as similar pounded-starch dishes appear across West and Central Africa, but in Ghana it has become a defining staple. The most common Ghanaian version blends cassava and plantain, boiled then pounded into a smooth, elastic dough, though regional variations use cocoyam, yam, or a mix of these starches depending on local harvests and preference.
In Ghana, fufu is more than a food—it is a cultural touchstone, central to communal meals and often eaten with the right hand, where pieces are torn, dipped into rich soups like light soup or groundnut soup, and swallowed without chewing. It features prominently at celebrations, family gatherings, and everyday dinners, symbolizing hospitality and shared identity across many ethnic groups, especially the Akan and Ga.
Recipes from travellers
No one has shared their own Fufu recipe yet. Yours would be the first.
Share how you make Fufu
You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.
Sign in to share your recipe
Fufu — frequently asked questions
What is Fufu?
Cassava and plantain are boiled and pounded into a smooth, stretchy dough, torn off and dipped into hearty soups like light soup or groundnut soup. It is a cornerstone of West African dining, swallowed rather than chewed.
What is Fufu made of?
Fufu is made with cassava, plantain, groundnut soup, goat meat and chilli.
Where does Fufu come from?
Fufu comes from Ghana, and is especially associated with West Africa. Fufu’s precise origins are debated, as similar pounded-starch dishes appear across West and Central Africa, but in Ghana it has become a defining staple.
Where can I eat Fufu?
A Ghanaian eatery, with a bowl of spicy soup to dip.
Taste Fufu in Accra
Independent picks. We earn a small commission if you book through these — at no extra cost to you. How this works.
✅ Before you go to Ghana
Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.
More dishes like Fufu
Waakye
Rice and beans cooked with sorghum leaves, sold by the plate.
Kelewele
Spicy fried plantain cubes with ginger and chilli.
Red Red
Black-eyed pea stew in red palm oil with fried plantain.
Banku
Fermented corn-and-cassava dough, tangy and smooth.
Pot-au-Feu
Boiled beef and vegetables, broth served first.
Soto
Fragrant turmeric chicken soup with countless regional forms.
Šaltibarščiai
Vivid pink cold beetroot soup for hot summer days.
Solyanka
Tangy soup of cured meats, pickles and olives.
Ndolé
Bitterleaf and peanut stew with meat and shrimp.
Chakhchoukha
Torn flatbread soaked in a spiced lamb and tomato sauce.
Koeksister
Plaited fried dough drenched in cold sugar syrup.
Lablabi
Garlicky chickpea soup poured over torn bread.
Akara
Fluffy deep-fried bean-batter fritters for breakfast.
Aish Merahrah
Sourdough-maize flatbread from Upper Egypt, leavened with fenugreek and baked on clay taboons in Nile-valley towns from Beni Suef to Sohag.
Bunny Chow
Hollowed-out loaf filled with spicy curry.
Pljeskavica
Giant grilled minced-meat patty in flatbread.
- 🇬🇭 Waakye · Ghana
- 🇬🇭 Kelewele · Ghana
- 🇬🇭 Red Red · Ghana
- 🇬🇭 Banku · Ghana
- 🇫🇷 Pot-au-Feu · France
- 🇮🇩 Soto · Indonesia
- 🇱🇹 Šaltibarščiai · Lithuania
- 🇷🇺 Solyanka · Russia
- 🇨🇲 Ndolé · Cameroon
- 🇩🇿 Chakhchoukha · Algeria
- 🇿🇦 Koeksister · South Africa
- 🇹🇳 Lablabi · Tunisia
- 🇳🇬 Akara · Nigeria
- 🇪🇬 Aish Merahrah · Egypt
- 🇿🇦 Bunny Chow · South Africa
- 🇷🇸 Pljeskavica · Serbia
Keep exploring
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Fufu.
Write a review
Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Fufu.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Fufu.