By Laudia Sawer
Tema, March 13, GNA – A simple yet satisfying blend of boiled corn and groundnuts, each maintaining their distinctive white and brown hues, Saabo, is a beloved Ghanaian snack enjoyed by people across ethnic backgrounds.
It is also known as “Nkyekyera or abele kԑ nkatiԑ” respectively in twi and by the Ga people of the Greater Accra Region, this wholesome treat is cherished for its ability to keep one full for long hours.
Madam Sabina Araba Amoah, a Saabo producer in Tema Community One, shared insights with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on its preparation, stating that the process begins with dehusking the corn using a machine, before soaking it for some hours to soften it.
The softened corn is then rinsed and placed in fresh water with enough salt.
She said the corn and freshly washed groundnuts were carefully wrapped in cleaned corn husks and securely tied with a special cord imported from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, which was readily available in the market.
The bundles of Saabo were then arranged vertically in a large cauldron (Dadesen) and boiled for several hours until both the corn and groundnuts became tender.
“Preparing Saabo is no easy task,” Madam Amoah revealed, adding that “if you take it as a job, you don’t get much sleep. If I start cooking at six in the evening, I have to check the water level and fire until midnight. At 04:00 hours, I wake up again to check on it and get ready for the day’s sales.”
She noted that the rising cost of ingredients, corn and groundnuts, posed a major challenge to traders in the business.
She said as for how Saabo was enjoyed, preferences varied as some people add it to porridge, while others ate it as it was or paired it with coconut.
“In Tema, I noticed people love to eat it with coconut because they say it enhances the taste, but back in my hometown, we don’t do that,” she added.
Madam Janet Essel, another Saabo trader at Tema, stated that the business was traditionally dominated by the Fantes but had since expanded to include people from various backgrounds.
“Selling Saabo is very lucrative,” she said. “You can never run at a loss unless something is wrong.”
Ms Alima, a Saabo seller, shared that she was introduced to the trade by a friend when she moved to Tema from the Ashanti Region.
The business had since become her primary source of income, helping her care for her two children.
“When I sell GHS300 worth of Saabo in a day, I make a GHS70 commission,” she explained.
Madam Ruth Nartey, a devoted Saabo consumer, expressed her love for the snack, saying it was affordable and providing with deep satisfaction all day.
“I have to spend more money buying other foods, which may not sustain me throughout the like Saabo does, and it is only GHS 5.00 per one,” she said.
Madam Nartey explained that the fresh leaves used for wrapping the snack imparted a fresh, aromatic taste that enhanced the overall flavour, making it more enjoyable.
GNA
LS/CAA