Traditional cereal processing in Nigeria and Ghana
Traditional cereal processing in Nigeria and Ghana
Traditional cereal processing in Nigeria and Ghana
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<strong>Traditional</strong> <strong>cereal</strong> <strong>process<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nigeria</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Ghana</strong><br />
TABLE 3<br />
Classification of Some Typical <strong>Ghana</strong>ian <strong>and</strong> <strong>Nigeria</strong>n<br />
Cereal Products<br />
Baked or<br />
Beverages Porridges Dumpl<strong>in</strong>gs fried products<br />
Kaffir beer Ogi Hura Bread<br />
Pito Koko Eko Atshomo<br />
Burukutu Ekuegbemi Banku Togbei<br />
Kunnutsaki Tuo Fula<br />
Aliha Gar<strong>in</strong> acha Kenkey<br />
Iced kenkey Ablemamu Akporhe<br />
akasa Nsihu<br />
Kunnu<br />
tsamia<br />
Kokui<br />
Abolo<br />
Sweet<br />
kenkey<br />
as kaffir beer. The alcohol content appears to<br />
vary from 1°/., to 4% <strong>and</strong>, <strong>in</strong> addition, there are<br />
significant amounts of lactic <strong>and</strong> acetic acids. It<br />
must be similar to the French oxycrat <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Russian kwass.<br />
For the manufacture of kaffir beer the sorghum<br />
is allowed to germ<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>and</strong> is then sun-dried.<br />
It is mixed with unsprouted ground sorghum,<br />
boiled <strong>and</strong> fermented. The relevant flow diagram<br />
is given <strong>in</strong> Fig. 8. The boil<strong>in</strong>g, which is <strong>in</strong>terposed<br />
between the I-day <strong>and</strong> 2-5-day fermentation<br />
periods, is curious. As with many traditional<br />
processes it may be a spurious step; it is possible,<br />
on the other h<strong>and</strong>, that boil<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the presence of<br />
lactic acid, produced dur<strong>in</strong>g the first fermentation,<br />
causes a degradation of the starch s<strong>in</strong>ce lactic acid<br />
is not volatile. Hence more substrate for bacterial<br />
fermentation would become available.<br />
Often the brew is consumed warm, as is the<br />
Hausa beer pito. Sometimes the sediment is<br />
stirred up before dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g (kunnu tzaki), <strong>and</strong> sometimes<br />
the liquid is carefully decanted (burukutu).<br />
The Ewes, Fantis <strong>and</strong> Gas of <strong>Ghana</strong> use maize<br />
rather than sorghum <strong>and</strong> may sweeten the dr<strong>in</strong>k<br />
with sugar or colour it with caramel (aliha).<br />
There are also non-alcoholic beverages such as<br />
iced kenkey (see below) dispersed <strong>in</strong> water <strong>and</strong><br />
sweetened, or roasted maize (ablemamu) treated <strong>in</strong><br />
the same way.<br />
Porridges<br />
The moisture content of these is about 90%<br />
<strong>and</strong> they would be processed like soups or yoghurt.<br />
The most important porridge is ogi which is eaten<br />
all over <strong>Nigeria</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> parts of <strong>Ghana</strong>. The Ewes<br />
of <strong>Ghana</strong> <strong>and</strong> the Ibos <strong>and</strong> Yorubas of <strong>Nigeria</strong><br />
prepare it from maize, the Hausas <strong>and</strong> Fulanis<br />
from sorghum or millet.<br />
Essentially the <strong>cereal</strong> is steeped, ground wet,<br />
sieved wet <strong>and</strong> allowed to sediment <strong>and</strong> ferment<br />
<strong>in</strong> water. The sediment is known as ogi <strong>and</strong> the<br />
boiled aqueous porridge as ogi porridge. Fig. 9<br />
shows the wet-siev<strong>in</strong>g of ogi.<br />
The <strong>Ghana</strong>ian koko is prepared <strong>in</strong> much the<br />
same way, except that it is fermented as a dough<br />
(referred to as mbor) <strong>and</strong> not as a suspension.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce less is discarded, the nutritional loss with<br />
koko is not as high as it is with ogi. Fig. 10 shows<br />
the flow diagrams of both these porridges.