Senior Lecturer at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Mrs. Alberta Bondzi-Simpson, has warned that the decline of traditional Ghanaian dishes goes beyond taste, touching on national identity, public health, and the economy.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, as part of Ghana Month Celebration, discussing ‘The endangered menu: Ghanaian dishes we’re forgetting how to cook,’ she said that losing indigenous foods could have far-reaching consequences.
“If we lose our dishes, we lose our very identity,” she said.
She explained that local foods are closely linked to Ghana’s environment and natural health systems, noting that many traditional ingredients serve specific nutritional and medicinal purposes.
“God in his wisdom gives us plants that help us to be healthy naturally,” she said, pointing to seasonal foods and herbs that boost immunity and treat common illnesses.
However, she warned that as Ghanaians move away from local diets and rely more on imported and processed foods, they may also be exposing themselves to new health risks.
“If we don’t eat the things that we are supposed to eat, that God has made available in our climate, then we will buy the medicine that the foreigner brings us to cure our illnesses,” she said.
Dr Bondzi-Simpson also raised concerns about the economic impact of changing food habits.
“There is also capital flight. If you look at the amount of Ghana cedis that is used to import foreign food, if that money had stayed in Ghana and been used to support farmers, I think we would be healthier.”
She criticised the hospitality industry for failing to promote local cuisine, revealing that some establishments deliberately avoid Ghanaian dishes.
“It will surprise you to know that in Ghana, there are certain hotels and restaurants that say they can never cook Ghanaian dishes because they don’t expect local clientele,” she said.
Instead, she urged a deliberate effort to prioritise Ghanaian food in restaurants and hotels.
“When you go to our hotels, why must it be continental dishes? Why can’t it be Ghanaian dishes?” she asked.
Dr Bondzi-Simpson said that preserving local cuisine requires practical steps, including making ingredients more accessible and convenient to use.
“We need manufacturing companies… to make it easier, make it more convenient for people,” she said, suggesting processed versions of traditional ingredients such as palm nut soup base and ready-to-use okra.
She also called for stronger policy direction, including encouraging the hospitality sector to include local dishes on menus.
“If we don’t place emphasis on our food and make a conscious effort… it will be very difficult for us to sustain,” she warned.
Beyond economics and identity, she linked food choices to global concerns such as sustainability and climate change.
“Getting your food from 6,000 miles away also contributes to global warming,” she said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com