Kumasi: The royal cooks of the Asantehemaa, Nana Ama Bonsu, and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, have revealed some of the delicacies that are prohibited in the Manhyia Palace kitchen.
According to Ghana Web, certain types of meat, including goat, cow, and pig meat (pork), are not allowed to be brought into the palace for food preparation. The palace cooks, known as Soodoo in the traditional setting, have specified that sheep meat is the primary type of meat permitted in the palace kitchen.
Speaking in a widely circulated video, the cooks explained the restrictions. 'One of the things we do not use in this palace is goat meat, pork or cow meat. The only meat we use for cooking here is sheep,' one of the cooks, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, stated.
Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem further elaborated that some dishes are specially prepared exclusively for the Asantehene and the Asantehemaa and are not made available outside the royal household. In Asante tradition, cooking for the Asantehene and the Asantehemaa is more than just food preparation; it is a sacred responsibility carried out with discipline, respect and strict adherence to long-standing customs.
The royal cooks are carefully selected and entrusted with preserving the unique culinary traditions of the Asante royal household.