Ice kenkey is a popular Ghanaian dessert made from

kenkey Kenkey (''also known as kɔmi, otim, kooboo or dorkunu'') is a staple dish similar to sourdough dumplings from the Ga and Fante-inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with pepper ''crudaiola'' and fried fish, soup or stew. Descri ...

, a steamed dumpling made from fermented

cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...

. It is often sold as a

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

in Ghana.

Description

Kenkey Kenkey (''also known as kɔmi, otim, kooboo or dorkunu'') is a staple dish similar to sourdough dumplings from the Ga and Fante-inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with pepper ''crudaiola'' and fried fish, soup or stew. Descri ...

is produced by steeping grains of maize in water for about two days, before they are then milled and kneaded into a dough. The dough is allowed to ferment for a few days, before part of the dough is cooked and then mixed with uncooked dough. Ice kenkey is produced by breaking kenkey into pieces, milling it, and then mixed with water, sugar, powdered milk, and ice. Some producers use roasted groundnuts instead of milk.

Hygiene

Ice kenkey sold by street food vendors in Ghana is prone to '' E. coli'' and ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

'' contamination due to manual operations and poor hygienic practices in the production process, as well as a lack of pasteurization. Municipal authorities have implemented an ice kenkey production training manual and created task forces to ensure food safety.

References

African cuisine Ghanaian cuisine Frozen desserts Street food {{Ghana-cuisine-stub