African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

How to Make Goat Meat Grilled Kebabs

Whether you call them kabobs, kebabs, satays, brochettes, souvlakia, skewers, or kyinkyinga, meat on a stick made in Ghana is delicious on the grill.

About Ghana Ghana is the current name for the Gold Coast and Togoland or British Togoland was carved out from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory. 

In Africa, Ghana was the first to achieve independence in 1957. The new nation's most influential figure was its prime minister, later president, Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana's route to independence became the model for the rest of the continent.

The Republic of Togo to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west and north, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the west borders the Republic of Ghana. The Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean lies south of the country, and it forms a 341miles or 550 km long coastline.

Food of Ghana Make grilled goat meat kebabs are made of small, tender chunks of goat meat seasoned with ground peanuts, spices, dabbed with oil and grilled directly over a hot grill.

 
Goat Meat Kyinkyinga Kabobs
Goat Meat Kyinkyinga Kabobs

Goat Meat Kyinkyinga Kebabs

Ingredients

1 pound goat meat cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons cooking oil

24 wooden skewers

Ghanaian Tankora Spice Mix

Ingredients

1 cup roasted peanuts

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 bouillon cube crushed

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cloves

Directions

Add all spices to a coffee grinder and grind carefully taking care not to over process the mixture or it will turn into peanut butter. The texture should resemble fine breadcrumbs. This spice mixture is called Ghanaian tankora and is the spice mix of choice for kyinkyinga kebabs.

Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes; you will use two skewers per kebab. Place goat meat in a large bowl and mix with cooking oil making sure the meat is coated well. Add meat to skewers about 4-6 pieces per stick taking care the meat is not touching so they cook evenly then sprinkle with homemade tankora spice mix.  Place kebobs directly on a hot grill, close lid and cook 5 minutes per side or until meat is done all the way through to the center. Transfer skewers to a plate, let rest 2 minutes and serve.

The Economy of Goats in Ghana 

Many Ghanaian rural households keep some sort of livestock; livestock farming is an aside to crop farming. Poultry predominates in the south, while cattle production is concentrated in the Savannah zones. 

Goat production is generally widespread throughout the country, however, goat production in Ghana is basically traditional except for a few organized or large-scale livestock farms. Livestock stabilizes the socio-economic capability of households by providing reliable income in times when prices of crops are low due to a bumper harvest.

Ghanaian households with different levels of income have varying objectives of keeping livestock in view of the wide spectrum of benefits livestock provide. These include cash income, food, organic fertilizer, source of renewable energy for draft power and hauling services, savings, insurance and the socio-cultural life of the people such as an offering of bridal dowry particularly in the rural communities.

The West African Dwarf type and the West African Long-Legged type are the major breeds of goats kept by livestock farmers in Ghana. Sheep and goats are often slaughtered for various occasions and functions such as births, funeral and marriages.

Ghana’s agriculture is predominantly traditional where about 60% of all farms in the country are less than 1.2 hectares in size. On the national average, there are about 7 cattle, 10 sheep, 10 goats and 8 pigs on Ghanaian farms.

Villages and rural areas are where the bulk of Ghana’s goats are located usually living in unroofed or fenced yards and semi-open sheds where the animals are confined after grazing. The animals when released for grazing stay within a particular distance by their territorial instinct.

Goats have a fascinating ability to survive and produce under a surprising range of conditions and even in respect of dry season survival on poor herbage. In the rural areas, there are always reports of crops being destroyed by these animals especially the goats.

Ghana’s top three food commodities are cassava, yams, and plantains. Cassava is known by various names, manioc, yucca, yuca, mandioca, and tapioca. The yam belt of West Africa includes Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Central Africa, Cameroon and Togo, Nigeria alone produces 71 percent of the yams. Plantains are important in the humid lowlands of West and Central Africa. One hundred or more different varieties of plantain grow deep in the African rainforests.

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