ER CNC organise cooking competition for market women in Koforidua

The familiar sounds of bargaining, haggling and the movement of shoppers at the Koforidua Market gave way to the rhythmic clatter of cooking utensils, sizzling pots and cheerful conversations as market women transformed the busy marketplace into a colourful kitchen.

The aroma of freshly prepared Ghanaian dishes filled the air as the market women battled for culinary honours at the Onga Maame Mukaase Cooking Competition 2026, held in Koforidua by the Eastern Region Centre for National Culture (CNC), with support from Promasidor.

Held on the theme, “Enhancing our heritage through ghanaian traditional cuisines,” the competition sought to promote Ghana’s cultural heritage through traditional food as part of the Black Star Experience.

The market women were divided into groups, with each showcasing its culinary skills using traditional ingredients.

The Ngokuo (Oil) Group prepared Etɔ, Meat Group prepared Mpɔtɔmpɔtɔ while the Materials and Fabrics Group prepared yam, plantain and kontomire stew. 

The Mainline Group served fufuo with abunabunu, while the Plantain and Cassava Group prepared konkonte with groundnut soup.

The Corn Group prepared akple and fetritɔtɔ, the Food Vendors Group prepared Tuo Zaafi, and the Spices Group prepared waakye.

After the food was inspected and the competition judged, the Corn Group emerged winners, with the Oil Group placing second and the Spices Group taking third place. 

Winners and participants received various prizes.

Speaking after the competition, the Director of the Eastern Region Centre for National Culture, Dr Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, said preserving Ghanaian culture went beyond drumming and dancing.

She said traditional cuisine was an important part of the country’s heritage and needed to be preserved and passed on to younger generations.

“Promoting our culture is not limited to drumming and dancing. It includes our local foods and how they are prepared,” she said.

Dr Alhassan said the programme also created an opportunity for young people and other market women to observe, ask questions and learn how traditional meals were prepared.

She urged parents and market women to teach children to appreciate and prepare local foods, warning that changing dietary habits were contributing to increasing cases of lifestyle-related diseases.

Vivian Osei Agyeman, representative of the Market Queen, Nana Ama Bonsu, said busy lifestyles had made it difficult for parents to teach children traditional cooking.

She urged parents to reduce their children’s dependence on junk food and encourage them to eat healthier local dishes. 

The winners from the Corn Group, Mrs Faustina Boame and Patient Adobea, said they were excited to participate and had given the competition their best.

They urged government and relevant institutions to introduce more programmes to promote Ghanaian dishes and encourage the youth to learn how to prepare them.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

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