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Cultural Ferment

Kenkey Recipe: Ghana’s Fermented Corn Dumplings (Ga and Fante Styles)

By Updated 2 min read

Discover how to make authentic Ghanaian kenkey at home with this comprehensive guide to West Africa’s beloved fermented corn dumplings. Learn traditional fermentation and steaming techniques, troubleshooting tips, and serving suggestions for this probiotic-rich staple food!

At a glance

Kenkey is southern Ghana's fermented maize dumpling: maize is soaked, ground and fermented for about 2–3 days, part of the dough is cooked into aflata and kneaded back in, and the dough is wrapped in maize husks (Ga kenkey) or plantain leaves (Fante kenkey) and steamed for hours. Fermentation is dominated by lactobacilli at about 10^9 per gram. Ga kenkey had a glycemic index of 41 in a small study.

  • Three main types: Ga kenkey (maize husks) and brown and white Fante kenkey (plantain leaves).
  • Fermented dough: >96% heterofermentative lactobacilli at ~10^9/g; yeasts ~10^6/g.
  • Fermentation cut moulds and Gram-negative bacteria 1,000–10,000-fold.
  • Aflata – part of the dough cooked into a stiff porridge – binds the dough before steaming.
  • Ga kenkey's glycemic index was 41 in a 10-person study.

Ferment profile

Origin
Southern Ghana (Ga and Fante)
Fermentation
Lactic acid
Main microbes
Heterofermentative lactobacilli; yeasts (Candida, Saccharomyces)
Live cultures
No (cooked, baked or pasteurized)
Alcohol
None / trace

Kenkey is a staple of southern Ghana: maize that is soaked, ground and fermented into a sour dough, partly cooked, wrapped in dried maize husks or plantain leaves and steamed into firm, tangy dumplings. It’s eaten with fried fish and hot pepper sauce (shito or fresh pepper), or with soups and stews. There are three main types – Ga kenkey and two Fante kenkeys, brown and white (Annan-Prah & Agyeman, 1997); Ga kenkey is usually wrapped in dried maize husks and Fante kenkey in plantain leaves.

What Happens in the Dough

When researchers sampled fermented maize dough from 15 larger commercial kenkey producers, they found a strikingly uniform community: by the late stage of fermentation, more than 96% of the bacteria were heterofermentative lactobacilli at about 109 per gram, with yeasts (mainly Candida and Saccharomyces) at about 106. Gram-negative bacteria and moulds fell 1,000- to 10,000-fold early in the fermentation, and the aroma came from lactic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids (Halm et al., 1993).

That acidification has a practical payoff. In a Ghanaian village study, weaning foods made from fermented maize dough carried far fewer Gram-negative bacteria than unfermented ones, both when prepared and after 6–12 hours of storage (Mensah et al., 1990). Kenkey made from maize alone was also low in biogenic amines, with no histamine detected (Nout et al., 1994).

Aflata: Why Half the Dough Is Cooked

Before wrapping, part of the fermented dough is cooked with water into a thick, stiff porridge called aflata, then kneaded back into the raw dough with salt. This gives a dough that holds its shape in the wrapper and sets firmly when steamed. The packets are then steamed for a couple of hours – long enough that kenkey is a cooked food without live cultures.

Kenkey and Health

  • Blood sugar: in a small crossover study of 10 healthy adults, Ga kenkey had a glycemic index of 41, lower than banku (73) or locally pounded fufu (55) (Eli-Cophie et al., 2017).
  • For babies: kenkey mashed into a pap is used as a weaning food, but it doesn’t meet young children’s nutrient needs on its own – breastfeeding and other foods are still needed. Researchers also advise washing hands well, using safe water and heating the pap before serving (Annan-Prah & Agyeman, 1997).
  • Mouldy maize: maize can carry mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and fumonisins, which fermentation doesn’t remove. Use clean, dry, sound kernels and discard any that are mouldy, discolored or shriveled (WHO).

Related ferments: Nigerian ogi is a fermented maize porridge, Sudanese kisra a fermented sorghum flatbread, and Ethiopian injera a fermented teff flatbread. In the Andes, maize is fermented into chicha de jora.

Recipe: Homemade Ga-Style Kenkey

Makes
8–10 dumplings
Hands-on
90 min
Fermentation
1–2 days soaking, then 2–3 days fermenting at 25–30°C
Salt
1–2 tsp, added with the aflata
Temperature
25–30°C (77–86°F)
Difficulty
Moderate

Equipment

  • Grain mill or high-powered blender
  • Large glass, ceramic or food-grade plastic bowl
  • Heavy pot and wooden spoon
  • Large steamer or pot with a rack
  • Kitchen string

Ingredients

  • 1 kg dried white maize (dent corn) (clean, sound kernels – no mould or discoloration)
  • As needed water (safe drinking water)
  • 1–2 tsp salt
  • 20–30 dried maize husks (soaked to soften; or plantain/banana leaves for Fante style)

Method

  1. Pick over the maize, discarding any mouldy, discolored or shriveled kernels. Rinse and soak in plenty of water for 24–48 hours, changing the water once a day.
  2. Drain and grind to a fine, slightly gritty meal, adding just enough water to make a stiff dough.
  3. Cover with a cloth and leave at 25–30°C for 2–3 days, until it smells clean and sour. Discard if it grows fuzzy or colored mould or smells putrid.
  4. Aflata: cook about half the dough with water in a heavy pot, stirring hard, for 15–20 minutes until very thick and glossy. Let it cool until you can handle it.
  5. Knead the aflata into the raw dough with the salt until smooth.
  6. Divide into 8–10 portions, shape into oblongs, wrap each tightly in overlapping softened husks and tie.
  7. Steam over boiling water for 2–3 hours, topping up with boiling water, until firm all the way through.
  8. Cool, then refrigerate in a closed container and eat within about a week, or freeze. Reheat by steaming.

Frequently asked questions

What is kenkey?

A Ghanaian staple of fermented maize dough, partly cooked, wrapped in maize husks or plantain leaves and steamed into firm, sour dumplings.

What's the difference between Ga and Fante kenkey?

Ga kenkey is usually wrapped in dried maize husks; Fante kenkey, brown or white, is wrapped in plantain leaves.

What is aflata?

Part of the fermented dough cooked into a stiff porridge and mixed back into the raw dough, which binds it before wrapping and steaming.

What do you eat with kenkey?

Classically fried fish with shito or fresh pepper sauce, or soups and stews such as groundnut or palm nut soup.

Is kenkey gluten-free?

Yes, it's made from maize. If you have celiac disease, check that the maize meal wasn't processed alongside wheat.

Is kenkey probiotic?

No. The dough is fermented by lactic acid bacteria, but kenkey is steamed for hours, which kills them.

How is kenkey different from banku?

Both use fermented maize dough, but banku (often with cassava dough) is cooked into a smooth ball and eaten straight away, while kenkey is wrapped and steamed.

Sources

  1. Halm M et al. (1993). Microbiological and aromatic characteristics of fermented maize doughs for kenkey production in Ghana. Int J Food Microbiol 19(2):135–143. Link
  2. Mensah PP et al. (1990). Fermentation of cereals for reduction of bacterial contamination of weaning foods in Ghana. Lancet 336(8708):140–143. Link
  3. Annan-Prah A, Agyeman JA (1997). Nutrient content and survival of selected pathogenic bacteria in kenkey used as a weaning food in Ghana. Acta Trop 65(1):33–42. Link
  4. Nout MJ, Nche PF, Hollman PC (1994). Investigation of the presence of biogenic amines and ethyl carbamate in kenkey made with maize and maize-cowpea mixtures. Food Addit Contam 11(3):397–402. Link
  5. Eli-Cophie D, Agbenorhevi JK, Annan RA (2017). Glycemic index of some local staples in Ghana. Food Sci Nutr 5(1):131–138. Link
  6. WHO. Mycotoxins (fact sheet). Link
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