A FLAVOUR OF GHANA
Putting Ghana on the world food map, Fred Apaloo has taken the culinary scene to the next level since he relocated back home nine years ago. Dorothy Walker finds out how he did it.
words: Dorothy Walker
photos: Amokwei Quarshie
Chef Fred Apaloo is the visionary, founder and creative director of Villa Grace Ghana, a boutique catering house in the capital Accra.
As soon as you start conversing with Fred, you attune to his warm and quietly confident tone.
It’s not easy to do what he has done for the culinary landscape of his home country and it’s not been without challenges along the way, but most would call him an innovator for what he has brought to the Ghanaian food scene.
When you think of Ghanaian food, what comes to mind is delicious, spicy and flavourful food. I travelled to Accra last year and my entire trip was tantalised by the delicious flavours of the local cuisine.
The continent of Africa is unique in that the flavours from corner to corner vary so much. For example, in Zambia our food is packed with a wide variety of vegetables cooked in ways unlike I’ve seen in another African country, but our spice levels are mild. Ghana, on the contrary, has a lot of heat to its cooking and mixing of different food types! And this is why it is also important to share this knowledge outside our borders and create unique culinary experiences for tourists and locals alike.