Table 3 Description of standardized foods

(a) Yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

Yam and nkontomire stew

Boiled yam with stew prepared from boiled cocoyam leaves, tomatoes, onion and palm oil with fried/smoked fish

Yam and garden egg stew

Boiled yam with stew prepared from boiled and ground garden eggs, tomatoes, onion, pepper and palm oil with fried and smoked fish

(b) Plantain (Musa sapientum)

Plantain and nkontomire stew

Boiled plantain with stew prepared from cocoyam leaves, tomatoes, onion and palm oil with fried/smoked fish

Plantain and garden egg stew

Boiled plantain with stew prepared from boiled and ground garden eggs, tomatoes, onion, pepper and palm oil with fried and smoked fish

(c) Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Fufu with palm nut soup

Boiled cassava and plantain was pounded to a smooth paste in a wooden mortar. Soup contained tomatoes, onions, pepper, garden eggs, salt, water and fish/meat

Fufu and peanut soup

Boiled cassava and plantain was pounded to a smooth paste. Soup was prepared from peanut paste, tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs, salt, water and fish/meat

Konkonte and palm nut soup

Fermented cassava flour cooked to a paste with water. Soup contained tomatoes, pepper, onions, salt, water and fish/meat

Konkonte and peanut soup

Fermented cassava flour cooked to a paste with water. The soup was prepared from peanut paste, tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs, salt, water and fish/meat

(d) Maize (Zea mays)

Akple and okro soup

Cooked non-fermented corn dough and cassava dough. Soup contained okro, tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs, onions, salt and smoked/grilled fish or meat

Kooko with bread (fermented corn meal porridge)

Porridge prepared from fermented corn dough and served with bread

Kenkey with fried fish and pepper.

Fermented corn dough boiled and stirred into a smooth paste. Paste was moulded into balls, wrapped in clean corn shooks and steamed for 2–3 h. It was served with fried fish, sliced onions and pepper sauce

(e) Rice (Oryza sativa)

Jollof rice and stew

Rice cooked with tomatoes, pepper, salt, onions, meat, lard, thyme, water and meat

Plain rice and stew

Boiled rice served with stew prepared from tomatoes, onions, pepper, salt, cooking oil and fish/meat

Omo tuo with palm nut soup

Cooked rice made into balls and served with palm nut soup (as described above)

Omo tuo with groundnut soup

Cooked rice made into balls and served with groundnut soup

Waakye with stew

Rice cooked together with beans and served with macaroni, gari and stew prepared with tomatoes, onions, pepper, salt, cooking oil and fish/meat

(f) Millet (Pennisetum typhoides)

Hausa kooko with bread and akara

Ground millet and about one-third pepper cooked with water to form porridge and served with sugar, bread and akara

Tuo Zaafi

Boiled and thickened porridge ball prepared from millet and served with soup containing tomatoes, pepper, onions, okro, kontomire leaves and fish/meat

(g) Cowpea (Vigna ungiculata)

Beans and fried ripe plantain (red–red)

Cooked beans served with palm oil, gari and fried ripe plantain