Ghanaian-style Banku dish served with whole fried fish, red onions, and red sauce.
Fufu and banku are two of Ghana’s most iconic starches, often served with soups, stews, or pepper sauce and fish. Though both are smooth, stretchy doughs eaten by hand, they differ in ingredients, flavor, and regional popularity.
Fufu is made by pounding boiled cassava, plantain, yam, or a combination into a smooth, elastic dough. In the south, it is commonly cassava and plantain; in parts of the north, yam fufu is more typical. It has a mild, slightly sour taste and a soft, stretchy texture designed to scoop up light soup, palm nut soup, groundnut soup, or snail soup.
Banku, by contrast, is made from fermented corn dough mixed with cassava dough, then cooked and stirred in hot water until firm. The fermentation gives it a distinctive tangy, slightly sour flavor and a denser, smoother texture than fufu. It is especially popular in the Greater Accra, Volta, and coastal areas, often served with okra stew, pepper sauce, and grilled or fried tilapia.
In practice, fufu leans more “forest belt” and Akan-influenced, while banku is strongly associated with Ga, Ewe, and coastal food culture. Both are communal dishes, usually shared from a common bowl, and both rely on flavorful soups or stews to complete the meal.