Ghana-style snack: toasted corn and peanuts!

In Ghana, people snack on nuts (as in tiger nuts, groundnuts [peanuts], cashews, etc… often combined with something else, such as fresh coconut or corn. While corn is sometimes popped and eaten alone or with peanuts, it is also toasted. (Think African corn nuts.)

1)   Soaking the corn for 24 hours and then draining it, stirring in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil for a couple of cups of corn and roasting it in a hot (400 degree F) oven on a greased cookie sheet, planning to stir every 5 minutes. Whoops! After 5 minutes I stirred it and before 5 more minutes were up, the corn started jumping off of the cookie sheet into the oven. It wasn't popping exactly, more the way sesame seeds pop when you put them into a pan to heat them. I had to turn off the oven and remove the cookie sheets after the oven cooled. I then drained the corn on paper towels and salted it.

2) While the corn was cooking in the oven, I also used a heavy frying pan on the stove top with a little oil (a tablespoon or so) to toast a cup of the soaked corn on a medium heat, stirring regularly. After about 7 minutes I had to put a lid on the pan, too, to keep the corn from jumping out.

3)   The traditional way they do in Ghana: toasting the corn dry over a low heat (on my stovetop), then pouring the toasted corn into a pan of cold salt water to soak for an hour, then drying the corn in the same heavy cast iron frying pan I used to toast it originally.

         ENJOY!!

African industrialization and trade!

Industrialization has become the buzzword for Africa of late, but that must be set against the reality of the present situation. As is usually the case, The Economist succinctly sums up the African trading position with “Africa is a continent rich in minerals and oil. China has an economy that requires them in abundance. Since the mid-1990s the economy of sub-Saharan Africa has grown by an average of 5% a year. At the start of this period Africa’s trade with China was negligible. It is now worth around $200 billion a year. Most of Africa’s exports are raw materials. China sends manufactured goods back in return.

Ghanian Designer!

Nana Kweku Brenu is slowly making his fashion label presence in Ghana and African more visible with its minimalist and sophisticated womenswear pieces that we believe the contemporary African consumer will easily welcome to their wardrobe. 

Nana Kweku Brenu, presented his debut collection at Ghana Fashion and Design Week 

last year; captivating the hearts of African fashion lovers with his minimalist yet playful collection. The Ghanaian designer based in Milan,Italy made a transition into fashion after earning a  Bachelors degree in Latin American Studies. However, he is no newbie to the fashion scene; he went on to complete a two-year fashion design course at Parsons School of Design in New York and he has had the opportunity to work for brands such as Armani Exchange and Valentino, and it is such experiences that have shaped his design ability and most recent collection.