It was an intriguing sight to see as people lined up outside the King Mohammed V Theatre in Rabat, Morocco to sample Ghana’s regional foods and beverages that were being served as part of the celebration of “Africa Day” there.
At the expo run by the Ghanaian Embassy in Morocco, Ghana’s “Waakye” and “Jollo,” served with local pepper sauce and hot beverage known as “Sobolo,” attracted a lot of participants.
Some customers finished their first course quickly and chose to order another course, indicating that they had a satisfying feast on their tongues.
“This is very good. I’ll taste it again. We also prepare jollof in our country but this is more spicy,” Philip, a participant from Cameroon, said.
Fasouma, a Nigerien student in Morocco, told the Ghana News Agency that: “I have heard about Ghana’s jollof so I wanted to have a taste of it. This is really good and I wish your people can teach me how to prepare it.”
Nasiru, a Nigerian journalist, revived the Ghana-Nigeria jollof debate, but admitted in the end that “Ghana’s jollof is almost as good as that of Nigeria”.
Prior to the cuisine exhibition, some Ghanaian students in Morocco gave a performance of dances from their native country.
A number of activities were organized on Thursday in the Kingdom of Morocco to commemorate the founding of the African Union (AU), currently known as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in 1963.
The rich native cuisine of the nation, according to Mr. Samuel Jojo Effah-Broni, Ghana’s ambassador to Morocco, displayed its distinct culture and identity, he said in an interview with the GNA. He claimed that many Moroccans and other foreigners were enamored with Ghana’s regional foods and drinks.
“Everybody enjoys the taste of Ghanaian food. Ours is unique . Other countries prepare waakye and jollof, but they are not smooth like ours,” Mr Effah-Broni said.
According to him, the nation must effectively package and market its regional cuisine to promote cultural export and boost the nation’s tourism industry.
