Eto: Soul Awakening Dish of Ghana
If you ask a Ghanaian what they have for breakfast on their birthday, they’ll likely respond with Eto.
This simple yet sacred dish contains mashed yams, boiled eggs, and palm oil. It’s prepared in the Ghanaian version of a mortar and pestle which the Akan of the Ashanti region call Apotoyewaa or Asanka. Eto is often served on birthdays, naming ceremonies, weddings, puberty ceremonies, twins festivals, and rituals.
Most commonly it is known to be served as the first meal someone consumes on their birthday. Usually, your mother or an older woman in your family will prepare the dish, and then invite your family, neighbors, or friends to come and join you in the morning for your birthday breakfast.
What intrigues me about Eto is that it is often referred to as a soul-awakening food. Originating from the Ga and Akan people of Ghana, Eto’s ingredients hold great symbolism when it comes to honouring one’s soul.
Starting with the significance of boiled eggs, I believe they’re a universal symbol of life. Eggs metaphorically contain everything that is needed to create life. For instance, the yolk represents a woman’s ovum, while the egg whites are the sperm cells needed for creation.
While Ghanaians are often teased about their high consumption of boiled eggs, they’re a cultural symbol of fertility, renewal, and transformation. Eggs are commonly used as part of spiritual cleansings and protective rituals. During rights of passage such as birthdays and weddings, the incorporation of eggs is a powerful symbol of change and transformation.
White yams are a staple in many African countries, Ghana being one of them. Eto includes mashed yams and is mixed with palm oil changing the color from white to a reddish yellow. The yams themselves hold great spiritual significance due to their deep-rooted nature coming from the Earth. Symbolizing sustenance, nourishment, abundance, growth, and prosperity, yams in Eto beautifully showcase a sense of gratitude for all that has been provided for you.
The most enlightening aspect of Eto in my opinion is the incorporation of red palm oil. While palm oil is not commonly used in Western cooking, it is a staple in many African, East Asian, and South American countries.
Red palm oil is extracted from both the flesh and seed of the fruit of the African palm tree. Containing high levels of antioxidants and a distinct buttery texture, red palm oil has been especially used for thousands of years in the West African regions. But what is so special about the red palm oil in Eto?
Much like the boiled eggs and yam, red palm oil’s symbolism is profound. Fostering a sense of spiritual rebirth, awakening one’s inner light, and guiding individuals towards more mindful awareness, red palm oil is quite the spiritual gateway.
It’s believed that red palm oil connects people to their ancestral lineage and wisdom, acting as a catalyst for introspection and reflection. What’s more, is that palm oil amplifies one’s intuition and even shields from negative or evil energies.
When combining these ingredients to make Eto, one is left with more than just a physical satiety, but also a profound sense of interconnectedness with oneself, family, community, and even ancestors. In all my time in Ghana, I rarely heard people speak about the origins of Eto, as eating it for various rites of passage and ceremonies is such a common and ancestral practice. However, my curiosity got the best of me as always and I went on this deep dive to understand why Eto is called a soul-awakening food.
What a beautiful act of honoring your soul with genuine soul food. It leaves me wondering what other cultures out there have similar practices but perhaps with different foods. I guess I’ll find out one day.
