What is "kenkey"

n. A West African staple dish similar to a sourdough dumpling, usually made from maize and served with a soup, stew, or sauce.

Kenkey or kormi or Kokoe or Dorkunu is a staple dish similar to sourdough dumpling from the Ga, inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with pepper sauce and fried fish or soup, stew. Areas where kenkey is eaten are Ghana, eastern Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, western Benin, Guyana (where it is known as "konkee"), and Jamaica. It is usually made from ground corn ( maize), like sadza and ugali. It is also known in Jamaica as dokunoo, dokono, dokunu, (the Asante refer to the same dish as 'Dɔkono' pronounced as 'Dorkono'), blue drawers, and tie-a-leaf. In Trinidad it is called "paime" (pay-me) and differs in that it does not contain plantain but may include pumpkin and coconut. In the cuisine of the Caribbean, it is made with cornmeal, plantain, green banana, sweet potato (Asante and Jamaican version, which came from the Asanti version) or cassava, wrapped in banana leaves. The food is derived from African cooking traditions. Unlike ugali, making kenkey involves letting the maize ferment before cooking. Therefore, preparation takes a few days in order to let the dough ferment. After fermentation, the kenkey is partially cooked, wrapped in banana leaves, corn husks, or foil, and steamed. There are several versions of kenkey, such as Ga and Fante kenkey. The Ga kenkey is more widespread in most parts of Ghana.