Rice and Beans

Africa is home to both the legumes known as “cowpeas,” the most famous of which is the “black-eyed pea,” and a type of indigenous rice (Oryza glaberrima). The (Nigerian) Hausa word for “cowpea” is “wáákéé” or “wake,” and Hausa is spoken widely in northern Ghana. When rice is combined with wáákéé one has Ghana’s “waakye” (pronounced “WAAtchy”), a classic rice and beans dish that has spread throughout the country and beyond. It makes a great vegetarian meal