Very nice presentation of this West African classic soup, but it will never compare to the real thing. I just can’t imagine sitting down at a clean table with white China bowls with all the trimming to eat groundnut soup. The best memories I have of this unforgettably delicious “breakfast” or early morning delight are from Kpando, Ghana.
To me, this soup must be enjoyed on the street, sitting on a stump as the fufu is pounded by the brightly clothed West African women in their tie-dye outfits, perspiring and laughing as they take turns slamming their wooden pestles, rhythmically up and down into boiled yam in a wooden mortar. Fufu is never eaten with a fork and knife. You snip off a pinch of this starchy ball with your first and second finger and accompany it with a spoon full of rich soup. You never chew fufu. You let it slide down your throat with the soup. When ready, this West African dish of boiled, pounded, and rounded starchy foods like cassava, yams, or plantains is served up in an earthen kilned bowl with thick groundnut soup poured over the top.
I am greeted by my usual extremely happy beautiful, with playful teasing eyes, young Ewe women speaking in unison, “good morning, Kosi Ganyo (ood ŋdi, Kosi ganyo)” (Sunday child who believes money is good), the name I was given by my Ghanaian friends because of the work I was doing in Ghana creating credit union societies… good morning, ladies, I answered back. (ŋdi nyui, nyɔnuwo). I always asked, “Any grass cutter today?” One of the girls chimes in, “The hunters were lucky today. They got a couple of big fat ones.” I say, good, then give me my usual hind quarters.
Grass cutter is the local name for capybara (the largest rodent in the world!) Their meat is sweet and mild because their diet is mostly roots and vegetation. And when accompanied with peanut soup and fufu or Maafe (smooth, rich and with lots of hot peppers) it is unforgettable.
When there is no grass cutter, chicken is the staple with this soup. Not just any chicken, but chicken that has been bubbling away in the peanut soup for a long time. When served, there is nothing like it. The taste is like heaven and the bones are so soft that you can devour them, first sucking all the soft fatty marrow from the bones and then eating what’s left as it disintegrates like celery between your teeth.
To finish off my morning meal, I ask for a bowl of Pap. A creamy warm sweet corn pudding. An African comfort food delight!
I often started out my day with this wonderful soup. It was a ritual that became part of my life in Kpando. I had many Ghanaian friends who would join me at this regular morning gathering to exchange stories and enjoy the companionship for many hours. It was a truly memorable experience.
This is my memory of the real peanut soup experience. I don’t remember how much I paid, but it couldn’t have been more than $1 or $2.
Author’s Note: I wrote this story based on my real-life experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1970, living and working in the Volta Region of Ghana, West Africa. The inspiration for this story came from a comment I saw about cooking and serving groundnut (peanut) soup in the United States. I am truly amazed at how the status of Fufu has evolved over the years. Back when I lived and worked in Kpando, it was simply a beloved staple enjoyed by everyone in the community.
