What Are Sorghum Leaves in Waakye?
Dried sorghum leaves are used in Ghanaian waakye to influence the color and character of the rice-and-beans cooking liquid.
Why they are used
Waakye is more than plain rice and beans cooked together. Traditional ingredient choices, including dried sorghum leaves in many preparations, help give the dish its recognizable appearance and regional identity.
Can you leave them out?
You can still cook seasoned rice and beans without them, but the result should be understood as a simplified home adaptation. When authentic ingredients are available, using them is preferable to forcing an unrelated substitute.
Sourcing sorghum leaves
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Ghanaian and West African markets are the best place to look. If needed, search for dried sorghum leaves for waakye on Amazon.