Nigeria vs Ghana: Who really owns fufu?

Beyond football rivalries and jollof wars, fufu has also become a matter of cultural pride.

Originally, fufu was made from yams, plantains, or cocoyams. But the introduction of cassava to West Africa in the 16th century by Portuguese traders revolutionised the dish, making cassava-based fufu the most common form seen today.

Nigeria vs Ghana: Who Really Owns Fufu?

Historically, fufu is widely believed to have originated in Ghana, specifically among the Akan people, including the Asante, Akuapem, Akyem, Bono, and Fante ethnic groups. The word fufu itself comes from the Twi language, which literally means white and is likely derived from the whitish colour of the cassava component in fufu.

In Ghana, fufu is typically pounded by hand in a mortar and pestle, producing a soft, slightly sticky ball. It is eaten with a variety of soups such as light soup, palm nut soup, groundnut (peanut) soup, and abunubunu (green leafy soup). Fufu is a popular dish in Ghanaian homes, festivals, and communal gatherings.

While Ghana may hold the historical claim, Nigeria has given fufu its own identity. In Nigeria, fufu (commonly known as akpụ among the Igbo people) is made almost exclusively from fermented cassava. Unlike the Ghanaian version, which may include plantain or cocoyam, Nigerian akpụ is thicker, with a stronger fermented taste and aroma.

Nigerians typically eat akpụ with soups such as egusi, oha, bitterleaf (onugbu), ogbono, or vegetable soup. Among the Yoruba, fufu is also prepared differently, using sieved fermented cassava that is stirred over heat into a smooth, elastic dough.

Today, Nigerians sometimes replace cassava fufu with semolina, maize flour, or even instant plantain flour for convenience.

Fufu is, however, not unique to Nigeria and Ghana. Across Africa and even the Caribbean, variations of fufu abound:

Angola: funge, fúngi
Benin: santana, foufou
Burkina Faso: tô
Cameroon: couscous, couscous de manioc
Central African Republic: foufou
Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville: fufú, moteke, fufú, luku , bidia
Gabon: foufou
Ghana: fufu, fufuo, sakɔro
Haiti: tomtom
Ivory Coast: foutou, foufou
Liberia: fufu
Mozambique: sadja, sadza, xima
Nigeria: fufu, santana, akpụ, ụtara, loi-loi, swallow
Sierra Leone: foofoo, foofoo Togo: foufou

How Fufu Is Eaten In Different Parts Of Africa

Angola

Nigeria vs Ghana: Who really owns fufu?

In Angola, fufu is served as part of the national dish but is called fungi/fungee and is made using cornmeal and okra.

Cote d’Ivoire

Nigeria vs Ghana: Who really owns fufu?

In Côte d’Ivoire, the word foutou is also used. Ivorian foufou is specifically mashed sweet plantains, whereas foutou is a stronger, heavier paste made of various staple foods such as yams, cassava, plantains, taro or a mix of any of those.

Ghana

In Ghana, fufu is made out of pieces of boiled cassava and/or other tubers such as plantain or cocoyam. It is mostly pounded together in a locally made wooden mortar (woduro) using a wooden pestle. In between blows from the pestle, the mixture is turned by hand, and water is gradually added until it becomes a soft, sticky dough. The mixture is then formed into a rounded slab and served.

Nigeria

Nigeria vs Ghana: Who really owns fufu?

In Nigeria, fufu or akpu is a popular food made from fresh or fermented cassava. It is commonly referred to as akpu, which originated primarily among the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria and various ethnic groups in the South-South region. However, over time, fufu has been adopted by numerous other Nigerian ethnic groups, each incorporating it into their diets with localised variations in preparation and accompanying soups.

At the end of the day, fufu remains one of the most beloved, versatile meals in West Africa.