Ingredients
Base
- 300 gkenkey
- 750 mlwater
To finish
- 400 mlevaporated milk
- 100 gsugar, to taste
- 1 tspvanilla extract or a pinch of nutmeg
To serve
- plenty of ice
Directions
- Kenkey is a ball of maize dough soured for two or three days and then cooked, and it is bought ready-made from any Ghanaian market.
- Use kenkey that is a day or two old rather than fresh from the pot, which is what the street vendors do; it is sourer and breaks down more easily.
- Break the kenkey into chunks and put it into a blender with about half the water.
- Blend it hard until completely smooth, adding water as you go.
- Blend it far longer than seems necessary. Any lumps left in will not dissolve later, and grit is the commonest fault in a homemade one.
- Strain the blended mixture through a fine sieve, pressing the solids and discarding the coarse bran.
- Strain it even though it looks smooth. Kenkey carries husk that a blender cannot break down, and it is unpleasant in a drink.
- Stir in the remaining water, the evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.
- Taste and balance it. It should be sour first and sweet second, thick enough to be filling but still drinkable through a straw.
- Chill it thoroughly, or blend it with ice for the thick cold version sold from coolers.
- Serve very cold in a bottle or a sachet, shaken before drinking because it separates as it stands.
- It is a modern Ghanaian street drink that turns sour corn dough into a cold, filling shake, sold from roadside fridges and cool boxes.
Technique
- The sourness comes from the same lactic ferment as in Hausa koko and in sourdough bread.
- It is a meal rather than a refreshment, and it is often drunk in place of lunch.
- Bottled versions are now sold in Ghanaian supermarkets and increasingly abroad.
Substitutions
- Any soured maize dough.
- Ogi or akamu, which behave in much the same way.
Variations
- With peanut butter blended through.
- With condensed milk for a sweeter, thicker drink.
- Without milk at all, as a plain sour maize drink.
History
A modern Ghanaian street drink that turns sour corn dough into a cold, filling shake sold from coolers and roadside fridges.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ice kenkey?
Ice kenkey is a drink from Ghana: fermented kenkey blended with milk, sugar and ice, drunk cold from a bottle. A modern Ghanaian street drink that turns sour corn dough into a cold, filling shake sold from coolers and roadside fridges.
How long does Ice kenkey take to make?
Ice kenkey takes 15 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1.2 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Ice kenkey?
Yes, within limits. Any soured maize dough. Ogi or akamu, which behave in much the same way.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ice kenkey?
Use kenkey that is a day or two old rather than fresh from the pot, which is what the street vendors do; it is sourer and breaks down more easily.
