Unique Things to Do in Ghana: A Palm Oil Factory, Stingless Bee Honey, Kente Cloth and Coastal Life
- The Anonymous Hungry Hippopotamus
- Jun 4
- 5 min read
From Accra, I traveled west to Cape Coast. This and the next post are dedicated to this region and activities I suggest if you are visiting.
My first adventure in Cape Coast was a cooking class (information on that is in my last post) in which palm oil was used in just about every dish. I was intent on learning about this ingredient, so rich with earthy flavor, and used almost exclusively in African cooking, so I visited a local producer and learned about the process of making the oil from kernel to liquid.
Palm oil is one of the most important ingredients in West African cooking, deeply tied to the region’s history and agriculture. Vividly red-orange in color, palm oil is used in countless traditional dishes across not only Ghana, but Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. Not only does it give soups, stews, and rice dishes a distinctive depth of flavor that is impossible to replicate with any other oil, it is also stable at high temperatures, which made it especially practical for traditional cooking methods long before refrigeration existed.
The oil comes from the African oil palm tree, which is native to West and Central Africa. These tall tropical trees produce large clusters of reddish-orange fruit that grow tightly packed together. Each fruit contains both a fleshy outer layer and an inner nut or kernel. The bright reddish color of the kernels and the oil comes from beta-carotene, the same nutrient found in carrots and sweet potatoes, making unrefined palm oil naturally high in vitamin A.
The process of making palm oil is labor-intensive and traditionally done by hand in many villages across West Africa.
After harvesting the fruit bunches from the palm trees, the fruits are separated and boiled to soften the flesh. Boiling also helps loosen the oily pulp from the nuts inside.
Once softened, the fruits are pounded or ground, traditionally using large mortars and pestles or grinding stones, to break down the pulp into a thick mash. In some villages, like the one I visited, machines are used.
The mash is then heated again, often over wood fires, while water is added. As the mixture cooks, the oil begins to rise to the surface.
The final step involves pressing or squeezing the mixture to extract as much oil as possible. Traditionally, this was done by hand or with wooden presses, though modern mechanical presses are now common. In West Africa, traditional small-scale palm oil production remains an important source of livelihood for rural communities. I was grateful to observe this tradition that continues to be deeply tied to local food culture and identity.
On the way to our next destination, we stopped at a roadside stand for a snack. I have eaten ripe bananas, mashed bananas, banana bread and pudding, frozen bananas and even food wrapped in banana leaves, but this snack was a first for me, and as I learned, one of the most beloved roadside snacks in Ghana. I am referring to the fire-roasted banana served with a small bag of peanuts.
The bananas, often plantains or locally grown sweet bananas, are slowly roasted over open charcoal fires until the skins blacken and the inside becomes soft, smoky, and caramelized. Vendors carefully turn them by hand over the flames while the scent of wood smoke drifts through the air. The warm sweetness of the roasted banana pairs perfectly with the salty crunch of roasted peanuts. This is a must try when visiting Ghana.
International Stingless Bee Centre
After that brief intermission, we headed to the International Stingless Bee Centre in the small village of Abrafo, Ghana. It was there that I encountered another tree that produced a substance very valued in West Africa. The justicia carnea is a tree that produces a blood boosting sap from its leaves that is used to treat anemia.
The tree is often referred to as the "Blood of Jesus" or "Hospital is Too Far" tree, not only because of the blood red substance that oozes from its leaves, but also because it helps support blood health, improve energy, and assist with anemia. In remote villages it is often used in lieu of modern medicine. Fascinating as it was, it was not the reason I was in Abrafo.
I came to visit this village because it is the home of the International Stingless Bee Center, a place that is dedicated to the conservation and study of stingless bees. These tiny indigenous bees play an essential role in pollination throughout Ghana’s forests.
Unlike honeybees, stingless bees are harmless to humans, yet they produce a rare medicinal honey that is highly prized across West Africa. Their honey has a thinner consistency and a tangy, almost citrus-like flavor, and it is believed to possess strong antibacterial and healing properties.
Because stingless bees produce only very small quantities of honey, it is far more difficult to harvest and therefore much more valuable than conventional honey.
But, if oil and honey production aren't your idea of a good time, can I interest you in a water adventure?
The first option is a quiet day or afternoon at the beach. I chose one in Elmina.
I started with a simple but perfect lunch of fried chicken and rice, eaten barefoot at the beach with the sea only steps away.
Palm trees swayed overhead while ocean breezes rolled in from the Atlantic, carrying the sound of waves onto the shore.
A wooden swing facing the water was perfect to lounge in while taking in the ocean view and enjoying my novel.
Nearby, peacocks wandered the grounds showing off flashes of blue and green, ...
... while horses trotted slowly across the sand.
After days filled with history, culture, and learning, this time offered a different but equally compelling beauty.
The second aqua adventure is Lake Volta, provided you are traveling east toward the country of Togo. Though nowhere near Central Ghana, this lake is worth a visit.
Few places in Ghana capture the country’s natural beauty and engineering ambition quite like Lake Volta. Created in the 1960's after the construction of the Akosombo Dam, Lake Volta is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world by surface area, stretching across much of eastern Ghana and covering nearly 3,300 square miles.
Crossing the lake is the impressive Adomi Bridge, historically the longest suspension bridge in Ghana and one of the country’s most important engineering landmarks. Opened in 1957, the same year Ghana gained independence, the bridge stretches dramatically over the Volta River near Akosombo, connecting eastern and western regions of the country. Driving across it offers sweeping views of the water below, where the river widens into the immense lake beyond.
I'll conclude this post by saying that I also visited a shop where kente cloth was woven. For many people, the first or only image that comes to mind when they think of Ghana is this highly marketed cloth with its bright colors, bold geometric patterns, and deep connection to African identity and pride.
Traditionally woven by the Ashanti and Ewe people, kente is far more than decorative fabric; each color and pattern carries symbolic meaning tied to history, leadership, spirituality, and community. Over time it has become a global symbol of African heritage and cultural resilience, especially throughout the African diaspora.
As beautiful and internationally recognized as it is, Ghana is so much more than kente cloth alone. Beyond this iconic textile is a country filled with ancient kingdoms, powerful history, vibrant cities, breathtaking coastlines, rainforests, art, music, cuisine, and some of the warmest hospitality I have ever experienced.
A visit to Ghana, or anywhere in the world for that matter, will move you beyond stereotypes and symbols to an experience of the depth of the culture firsthand. So book that trip that you've been postponing and hear the stories, taste the food, walk the historic coastlines, and meaningfully connect with the people who bring Ghana’s rich history and traditions to life every day.
Comments