What Is Ampesi? The Ghanaian Boiled Staple Explained
Ampesi is a Ghanaian dish of boiled plantain, yam or cocoyam served with a stew or sauce. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Ampesi is a simple, wholesome Ghanaian dish of boiled plantain, yam or cocoyam, or a mix of them, served with a flavourful stew or sauce, most classically kontomire stew, made from cocoyam leaves, or a garden egg or tomato stew. A staple everyday meal across Ghana, ampesi is filling, nourishing and comforting, the plain boiled staples balanced by a rich, savoury sauce. Naturally plant based unless fish, egg or meat is added to the sauce, it is a beloved home-cooked dish. In the UK the plantain, yam, cocoyam and sauce ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops.
What to remember
- Ampesi is a Ghanaian dish of boiled plantain, yam or cocoyam, or a mix of them.
- It is served with a flavourful stew or sauce, most classically kontomire (cocoyam leaf) stew.
- It is a simple, wholesome, filling everyday staple across Ghana.
- It is naturally plant based unless fish, egg or meat is added to the sauce.
- The plantain, yam, cocoyam and sauce ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops in the UK.
For Ghanaians in Britain, ampesi is a wholesome, nostalgic taste of home. It is the plate of boiled plantain, yam and cocoyam with a rich kontomire stew, the honest everyday meal, the food of family kitchens, the taste that says home cooking. Making ampesi far from home brings back family tables and the simple, nourishing staples of Ghana, the warmth of home in every soft, comforting mouthful.
There is real heart in it too, in a dish so simple and so tied to everyday Ghanaian life, made from the staples that have always fed the table. It reflects a whole culture of honest, nourishing, home-cooked food, and to make a plate of ampesi and stew is to keep that alive. Cooking it for family who grew up on it, or sharing it with a friend as an introduction to Ghanaian home food, is a small act of welcome. That wholesome, comforting taste of home is the gift of ampesi.
What Ampesi Actually Is
Ampesi is one of Ghana's simplest and most wholesome everyday dishes, made of boiled starchy staples, plantain, yam or cocoyam, or a combination, served with a tasty stew or sauce on the side or over the top. The staples are simply peeled and boiled until soft, keeping their plain, natural flavour, and the interest comes from the sauce they are eaten with. It is a humble, nourishing, filling meal that is loved across the country, in homes and canteens alike.
The most classic partner for ampesi is kontomire stew, a rich green stew made from cocoyam leaves, often with palm oil, onions, pepper, egusi or agushie seeds and fish, though ampesi is also enjoyed with garden egg stew, a tomato stew, or other sauces. The combination of plain boiled plantain or yam with a savoury, flavourful stew is the heart of the dish. Ampesi belongs to the world of Ghanaian cooking we cover in our guide to Ghanaian food, and it is made from staples like plantain and cocoyam.
How Ampesi Is Made and Eaten
Making ampesi is refreshingly simple. Plantain, which can be ripe or unripe, yam and cocoyam are peeled, cut into pieces and boiled in salted water until soft and cooked through, a mix of the three being popular so you get different textures and flavours on one plate. That is really all there is to the ampesi itself, as the staples are meant to be plain, letting the sauce provide the flavour. The care goes into cooking each staple just right, soft but not falling apart.
The boiled staples are then served with the chosen stew or sauce, most classically kontomire, the green cocoyam-leaf stew, or a garden egg or tomato stew, either spooned over or served alongside for dipping. It is eaten with a fork or by hand, with a piece of the soft staple and a little of the rich sauce in each bite. Ampesi is naturally plant based if the sauce is, though kontomire and other stews often contain fish or egg, so those with allergies should check. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Simple, wholesome and comforting, ampesi is everyday Ghanaian cooking at its best.
Ampesi in Ghanaian Food Culture
Ampesi holds a warm, everyday place in Ghanaian food culture as a simple, nourishing staple meal. It is the kind of honest, home-cooked food that people grow up on and return to, filling and wholesome, made from the plantain, yam and cocoyam that are staples of the Ghanaian table. Its simplicity is part of its charm, and the pairing with a lovingly made kontomire or garden egg stew turns plain boiled staples into a satisfying, flavourful meal.
Every family has its favourite combination, more plantain or more yam, and its favourite sauce to serve with ampesi, but the boiled staples with a savoury stew are always at its heart. For Ghanaians, ampesi is a comforting, nostalgic taste of home and of everyday family meals, and for anyone exploring Ghanaian food it is a wholesome, approachable dish to try. This article is general food and cultural information. Simple and nourishing, ampesi is a treasured Ghanaian staple.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making ampesi at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. African and Caribbean food shops sell the plantain, yam and cocoyam for the boiled staples, along with the cocoyam leaves, or a substitute green like spinach, and the palm oil, egusi or agushie, pepper and fish for a kontomire stew, or the garden eggs and tomatoes for other sauces. Good plantain, yam and cocoyam are easy to find, and the sauce ingredients are all stocked.
If you want to make ampesi, an African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the plantain, yam and cocoyam, and the ingredients for a kontomire or garden egg stew to serve with it. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Simple, wholesome and comforting, ampesi brings an everyday taste of Ghana to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is ampesi?
Ampesi is a simple, wholesome Ghanaian dish of boiled plantain, yam or cocoyam, or a mix of them, served with a flavourful stew or sauce, most classically kontomire stew made from cocoyam leaves, or a garden egg or tomato stew. A staple everyday meal across Ghana, it is filling and comforting, the plain boiled staples balanced by a rich, savoury sauce.
What is ampesi served with?
Ampesi is served with a flavourful stew or sauce, and the most classic partner is kontomire stew, a rich green stew made from cocoyam leaves, often with palm oil, egusi or agushie seeds and fish. It is also enjoyed with garden egg stew, a tomato stew, or other sauces. The plain boiled staples are meant to be eaten with a savoury sauce for flavour.
What staples are used for ampesi?
Ampesi is made from boiled starchy staples, most commonly plantain, yam and cocoyam, either on their own or as a mix of two or three on one plate. The plantain can be ripe or unripe. Each is peeled, cut and boiled until soft. Using a mix gives different flavours and textures, which is a popular way to enjoy ampesi.
Is ampesi healthy?
Ampesi is a wholesome dish of boiled staples, with no frying, served with a vegetable-rich stew such as kontomire, which makes it a nourishing, balanced meal for many people. As with any food, how well it suits someone depends on their own needs and the rest of their diet. This is general food information rather than dietary or medical advice.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Plantain, yam and cocoyam for the staples, and cocoyam leaves or a green substitute, palm oil, egusi and fish for kontomire, or garden eggs and tomatoes for other stews, are sold by African and Caribbean food shops. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the plantain, yam, cocoyam and stew ingredients ampesi needs.