Ever heard of Aky3k3, or even had a taste of it? Do you know what goes into the preparation of this finger-licking dish?
GBC News takes you along the western coastline from Accra, to Aiyinase and A.B Bokazo, two communities in the Ellembelle district of the Western Region, where Aky3k3 remains a favourite and features prominently on menus in restaurants and possibly, daily in homes.
Attiéké, Akyeke, Attieke, Adj3k3, Aky3k3, however you call it, is a traditional Ghanaian meal, loved by many and is popular with the people of Ghana’s Western Region, especially the Nzemas.
For they say, if you are Nzema and you don’t eat aky3k3 then you are not a true-blooded Nzema. Aky3k3 is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner even at midnight.
Its accompaniment is soup or stew, but has gained popularity with grilled tilapia, fried fish, meat or grilled chicken.
To begin with, the cassava is peeled, grated and kept in jerry cans and bowls and moistened with lots of water, for properly wet grains.
After that, the cassava pulp is kept for three days for fermentation. The cassava pulp has to be fermented because, it is from there, that one gets the real taste of the Aky3k3. It also brings out the sweetness of the cassava.
The cassava is now transferred into sacks which are tied and kept under this machine, which presses out all the excess water and also removes the starch.
The cassava pulp is later processed manually by sieving and rubbing in circular motion in the palms to create smooth round grains after which it is dried in the sun for about an hour.
At this stage the Aky3k3 is steamed under medium heat on fire for between five and seven minutes. Some salt is then added for taste.
The women are appealing to the government for assistance to deal with some of their problems.
