Cameroon – Accra Banana

by Nghonazie Annabel

Accra banana is a snack made from grated cassava and ripe bananas. Accra banana has a long history as our great grandparents discovered this snack, passed it down to our grandparents then to our parents. And as this snack passed down from generation to generation, changes can be observed, demand had been fluctuating and consumption rate also changing. Back in the days, it could be seen that Accra banana was sold in community schools during break and only the poor kids rushed to get this snack because it was way too cheap. With 10 FRS at that time one could buy 10 balls of Accra banana. There was abundance of cassava and banana at that time. As time went on, cassava was being processed at a high rate so the availability for Accra banana dropped. Now in this era, Accra banana is on high demand and consumption as many people have modernized it and added value to it. In almost all occasions now, Accra banana is always seen on the table and it is very economical as it can serve a large number of people. It has become a source of income to many people and has also become very popular and on high demand.

Preparation method

Accra banana is prepared by frying, that is deep frying

Ingredients for Accra banana

• A good quantity of cassava
• 5 big ripe bananas
• Half a cup of white garri
• a liter of groundnut oil
• a liter of red oil
• salt taste

Preparation process

• peel the cassava and wash well
• Grate the cassava using a grate. It is advisable to use a hand grater as electrical machine will not produce the best paste. That is to say manual gratering gives the best texture
• wash the bananas well and peel
• use a wooden mortar to mash it or the mashing can also be done using the hands
• put the mashed bananas in the grated cassava paste and mix well using the hands
• Add the white garri gradually making sure it doesn’t get too hard. Garri is optional, it just helps to absorb excess water from the mixture as grated cassava has a lot of water.
• When the mixture is homogenous ,small quantities should be cut and rolled to form beautiful round shaped balls
• Put red oil on the fire and bleach for like 5 minutes. Add the groundnut oil into the red oil and reduce the fire
• Now add the accra balls carefully into the oil and observe
• When one side is brown enough, stir it and make sure it’s done
• Continue with the process until all the balls are fried.
• When it’s ready, serve in beautiful bowls or plates and add

Accra banana is ready and it is very good for picnics and snacks. Enjoy your snacks