Dr. Alberta Bondzi-Simpson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Cape Coast, has urged Ghanaians battling gastric disorders to consider consuming the locally prepared meal, kokonte, to support the healing process.
She recommended that patients eat kokonte with soup or stew at least twice a week. The dark-brown dish, similar in appearance to the pounded cassava meal fufu, is commonly paired with groundnut soup, palm nut soup, light soup, or sometimes stew.
Speaking on Channel One TV and Citi FM’s Heritage Month on-air series on Indigenous Food Staples, hosted by Apiorkor Seyiram Ashong-Abbey on Monday, March 23, Dr. Bondzi-Simpson said, “Kokonte is very high in iodine. If you have any gastric problems that have to do with a sore in your digestive system, then kokonte is your thing. This is basically eating iodine into your system.
Eat it constantly, at least two times a week, and you wouldn’t have to go to the doctor for ulcers or minor ulcers. So far as it’s in there, it will heal. You can eat it without soup.”
She also highlighted the nutritional benefits of cassava, the root from which kokonte is made.
I was amused to find out that cassava contains a certain amount of protein. It has some mineral nutrients, you can pound it and eat it as ampesi. Go for the slim white cassava for ampesi. The small ones. It’s palatable when you can pair it with garden egg stew, kako [dried fish], and flavourful supaku [dried fish],” she advised.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the 2026 ‘Back to Your Village’ Food Festival, set for March 28 and 29 in Accra. The event will transform the city into a vibrant village setting, celebrating authentic Ghanaian food and culture.
Accra, known for its modern skyline and cosmopolitan lifestyle, will temporarily trade its urban rhythm for the warmth of a traditional community atmosphere. The festival aims to recreate the simplicity and richness of village life through the flavours that once defined everyday living.
Organised by Channel One TV and powered by Citi FM, the two-day event will take place at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day as part of Heritage Month 2026.
More than a food fair, the festival is a cultural homecoming—a return to time-honoured cooking techniques and indigenous recipes passed down through generations. From the northern savannas to the coastal belts and forest zones, the event will showcase dishes that define Ghana’s culinary identity.
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