Akple and okro soup, the indigenous food of the Ewes

THE FOOD

Akple and Fetri-Detsi is a delicacy made from corn powder and Okra-Stew. It's mainly consumed by the inhabitants of the south-eastern part of Ghana; the Ewes. The delicacy’s history can be traced back to the 16th century when the Ewes first settled in Sudan where they named Ketume, which is known today as Khartoum.  

Today, the delicacy is consumed by people from all walks of life; both rural and urban, poor or rich. One in every ten Ghanaian is said to consume the delicacy at least once a week. Also, the delicacy is consumed at social events like parties, wedding receptions and funerals by all tribes. 

PREPARATION PROCESS.

Wondering how it's prepared?  Well, one needs a sizeable quantity of corn powder, fresh okra, fresh leaves, red oil or coconut oil, spices, fish or meat with half pot of water. The water is kept on fire till it reaches a boiling point. The corn powder is mixed with the boiling water and stirred with a cooking paddle until a desired hardness is achieved. As soon as the desired hardness is achieved, it is covered and left on fire for about 8 minutes to be fully cooked. Before serving, the mixture is stirred again to achieve a certain level of viscosity and uniformity. 

The practice is that, while the Akple is cooking, the okra is boiled together with cassava and cocoyam leaves. Usually, the leaves are chopped into smaller pieces and mixed with pepper stew and stirred. Crab, Salmon, smoked fresh water fish etc. are added to the stew. Some people prefer to add smoked snails for its protein efficacy. Spices are added to the stew to make it tasty. ’Dzomi’ (Red Oil) or coconut oil is used in the preparation of the stew.

BENEFITS

It’s a great source of energy since it is carbohydrate based. Some health commentators recommend its consumption to people with diabetes because it could be easily broken down by the digestive system. Unlike Banku, Akple and Okra-stew is lighter on the stomach and digests faster comparatively. While Akple is prepared with only corn powder, Banku is prepared with the mixture of corn dough and cassava dough.

CHALLENGES

The only challenge with this delicacy is that is does not have a longer shelve life. Usually, it is consumed hot just after cooking because it loses its viscosity in matter of minutes. It is not usually consumed cold. However, some people have found innovative ways of tying it up in polythene and keeping it in food warmers. That way, it can be kept up to about twelve hours.

PROMOTION 

I think that the delicacy can be better promoted beyond its current state if conscious efforts are put in place by the Ghana Tourism Development Company GTDC.  Platforms such as this one, food festivals, etc. could serve as some of the main means of promoting the delicacy. Also, celebrities and leaders of the country should be seen eating these local delicacies at official gatherings rather than the foreign cuisines. 

CONCLUSION 

Akple and Okra-stew is easy to prepare and not expensive at all. Everyone  can consumes it. It digests fast and does not leave you with health complications. The more we consume Akple and Okra-stew, the more we are putting money into the pocket of the local farmer which would eventually help grow the local economy. 

Written by Carlos Lorlornyo Atsu (Ghana Institute of Journalism)