By Elizabeth Punsu
All I can remember is that every single break time at Naylor S.D.A Basic School in Community Six, Tema, I found myself at Aunty Angela’s table. Anytime I went there, my seniors and those who had been around longer would grumble: “Here comes Isaac’s sister; she’s going to be served soon!” And true to their words, after serving one or two people,
Aunty Angela would ask for my bowl and serve me that sumptuous meal—rice and beans cooked in sorghum leaf water, paired with gari infused with oil from the tomato stew, macaroni, an egg and, of course, my favourite accompaniment – spicy shito. Hmmm… finger-licking goodness!
This food, popularly known as waakye, is the best meal anyone can have for breakfast; and is arguably Ghana’s biggest food export.
Even during my secondary school days at Apam Secondary School (Great APASS), I never missed Tuesday evening supper, which was always ‘waakye’ with an egg. I would wait right behind the dining hall gate, ready to rush in and grab a ladle to serve myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have enough food, as it was loved by the majority of the students. So, you can tell—I am an ardent lover of waakye.
Let me tell you exactly how I love it: I want my waakye to be ‘mmotoo’ (very soft), wrapped in ‘ahaban’(leaves), with fewer beans and a deep colour from the sorghum leaves. I eat my waakye with all the condiments—eggs, fish, dry meat, wele, gari and macaroni—except the salad. But I am always surprised that some people eat waakye with chicken. Hmm! Not my thing.
With all these condiments on my waakye, please “Amelia” (a popular name for waakye sellers), do not add stew. I always say: “I want plenty of shito, no oil”. And remember, the waakye must be mmotoo!
Every friend I have, every person around me—even my classmates—knows my love for waakye. I make sure my waakye comes with very hot shito. If I don’t get it like that, I won’t go back to that particular joint. I can stop eating waakye altogether until I find one that suits my taste—which sometimes gives me bad days.
I remember when I was pregnant with Juu, my son; I ate waakye almost every single day at work. There was this waakye joint at the Tesano Bus Stop—the lady there really understood the assignment. She gave me correct waakye with very spicy shito.
But then, when my cravings went sideways, guess what? I couldn’t eat her waakye anymore. I had to eat waakye from a different joint. Incredible, right? Most pregnant women detest their favourite meals during pregnancy but for me, it has always been waakye—only from different sources at different times.
Come, let me tell you something. Guess what? Should I tell you now or later? Okay, I’ll tell you now—Juu’s favourite food of all time is waakye with spicy shito. Hmmm!
Fast forward from my childhood and secondary school days; in mid-2022, I relocated to Kumasi due to work. I didn’t know the city well, but did that mean I wouldn’t eat waakye? Of course not! I tried different waakye joints, but none gave me the exact taste I wanted. If the waakye was good, the shito was bad; if the shito was good, the waakye wouldn’t feel right between my fingers (I always eat waakye with my hands).
Not knowing what to do, I switched from eating waakye to settling for kenkey—which is almost like banku, my first love. I kept eating this particular kenkey for almost a year. But whenever my craving for waakye got unbearable, I would try a not-so-good one and then go back to kenkey.
Then, on a fateful day in early 2023, I made the biggest discovery. I decided to try a waakye joint near the Adum Post Office. I got myself a good amount and, as usual, took plenty of shito. Lo and behold! Hallelujah! The exact taste and feel I had always longed for! Herh! You should have seen the joy and excitement with which I ate that food. The waakye was motoo, and the shito was on point. Herh! Since then, I have never looked back.
One thing I have realised over time is that the owner of the waakye joint, Hajia, always smiles when she sees me. She tells her girls to add more waakye to my portion, and she now calls me ‘m’adamfo’—meaning ‘my friend’. This always makes me happy. Her waakye is always on point, making me a loyal and regular customer of her brand.
Through this experience, I have realised that branding makes you stand out. Just as Hajia has made a conscious effort to ensure her waakye maintains a unique feel and taste that suits people like me, every business needs to own its niche and be consistent. I’m sure many other waakye lovers prefer waakye and shito just the way I do. I seldom hear anyone say they like their waakye in single grains!
I would choose Hajia’s waakye over and over again since it has satisfied my craving and how I love my waakye.
So, my two cents: As a brand, you need to own your niche and make a conscious effort to maintain and sustain your standards over a long period. Even when you’re not around, your customers and prospects should still seek you out wherever you go. Just like in Celebrating Impact – Brands that Lead, a great brand just as Hajia’s waakye, is built on consistency, trust and a unique experience that keeps customers coming back.
Lest I forget—since I enjoy eating waakye with my hands, I now have a polythene bag full of disposable spoons from buying Hajia’s waakye!
