In brief
- Bofrot: round Ghanaian doughnut, fried leavened dough, soft on the inside and golden on the outside
- Origin: Ghana, a street snack shared under other names throughout West Africa
- Essential ingredients: wheat flour, baker's yeast, sugar, nutmeg, frying oil
- Enjoyed at breakfast with a porridge, as a street snack or during celebrations
Origins and cultural history of bofrot
Bofrot is a round, fried and lightly sweetened doughnut, one of the Ghanaian versions of a large family of fritters found throughout West Africa under other names: puff puff in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, kala in Liberia, mandazi on the Swahili coast. Its basic recipe, flour, yeast, sugar and water, goes back to the bread-making techniques introduced on the Gold Coast during the colonial period, when the territory of present-day Ghana came under Portuguese, Dutch, British, Swedish and then Danish control; the exact origin of the process remains debated depending on the source.
In Ghana, bofrot stands out for a dough that is less sweet and softer than Nigerian puff puff, flavoured with nutmeg. It traditionally accompanies breakfast with koko, a millet or maize porridge, and is also sold hot as a street snack, in the markets of Accra or Kumasi.
What are the essential ingredients of bofrot
Bofrot only needs simple ingredients, brought together into a leavened dough that is then fried.
- all-purpose wheat flour
- baker's yeast, dry or fresh
- sugar
- grated nutmeg
- salt
- oil for frying
What to know about the bofrot
The bofrot is a round Ghanaian fritter, made from a yeasted dough of wheat flour, yeast, sugar and grated nutmeg, then fried: soft inside and golden outside. It is less sweet than the Nigerian puff puff, and the nutmeg gives it its aroma. In Ghana, it is eaten at breakfast with koko, a millet or corn porridge, or hot as a street snack in the markets of Accra or Kumasi.
Frequently asked questions about bofrot
What is the difference between bofrot and Nigerian puff puff?
The dough is similar, flour, yeast, sugar and water, but Ghanaian bofrot is generally less sweet and softer inside, and flavoured with nutmeg. The same family of fritters carries other names depending on the country: kala in Liberia, mandazi on the Swahili coast.
Why is nutmeg added to bofrot dough?
It is the aromatic touch that distinguishes Ghanaian bofrot from other West African fritters of the same family. A small quantity of grated nutmeg is enough to flavour the whole dough, without dominating the sweet taste of the doughnut.
Where to find bofrot ingredients in France?
NKOSI sells the cane sugar for this recipe on nkosiagro.com and ships it from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
