How to Eat Gari like a Pro…
Gari (Garri, Gali) is a popular ingredient used in many traditional food dishes in Ghana and its neighboring West African countries. Like many hearty Ghanaian dishes, gari is a starchy carbohydrate made out of the tubers of the commonly grown Cassava plant. Many Ghanaians make this at home and others buy it from a local farmer or processor. The tubers are typically cleaned, pealed, soaked and grated before being put into a plastic jut sack. Water is squeezed out of the sack by applying pressure, and then the rest of what’s in the sack is left to dry and ferment for a few days. Sieve out the larger bits, spread it out to dry in the sun, and then dry-fry it in a shallow pan until it becomes crisp.
Similar to the product and process of couscous or quinoa, gari needs only moisture to be consumed and Ghanaians eat it for breakfast or lunch, with either savory ingredients (red beans, tomatoes, etc.) or sweet.
Below is a how-to for eating a sweet gari snack in the midday. Follow carefully (or Madame Alberta will yell at you).
- Acquire gari from your favorite gari-maker.
- Scoop some gari granules into a bowl.
- Top the gari with a heap of sugar and some groundnuts.
- Find your water sachet. Tear off the corner and squeeze water into the bowl of gari until it becomes soupy.
- Eat it as quickly as you can before the gari soaks up the water. Literally eat without stopping or breathing.
- Don’t forget to not drink water after…even if you feel parched…lest your stomach expand beyond comfort.
Enjoy and feel full for hours.