Wele is a delicacy loved by Ghanaians and across all of West Africa. Nigerians call it “Pomo” and people in Cameroon and Sierra Leone call it “Canda”. But what is wele exactly? In this article, we’ll examine its origins, uses and importance in ghanaian gastronomy.
What is Wele?
Wele is a popular name for cow hide in Ghana. It is an essential part of many traditional dishes in Ghana such as standard soupy and stewie dishes and greatly appreciated for its texture and feel while chewing. Keep in mind that this meat-snack is not meant for everyone, as it requires a great deal of chewing. Let us examine how cow hide became such a delicacy for many in West Africa.
How Wele became a part of the diet of West Africans
Due to the fact that before the arrival of Europeans to Africa for trade and colonization, many cultures were illiterate and did not read nor write. So, getting accurate historical information can be a challenge because a lot of information was passed down orally which sometimes was not consistent or eventually got lost when the last bearer of that information died.
This is the challenge with finding out how cow hide eventually became part of the diet of West Africans. According to some sources, wele (cow hide) was introduced to the markets by the Hausa people when they brought cow hides among other goods to be sold in the markets.
They ate it as snacks or as a side dish and with time, the other Ghanaians also developed a taste for it and added it to their diet. Many tribes and cultures in the Northern region of Ghana had cattle rearing culture as opposed to the southern tribes that did more of plant farming, hunting and fishing.
Hence it is natural to see that the delicacy comes from these tribes because there was the need to process and preserve it so that it will be available all year round.
The origin of a name
The popular Ghanaian name ‘wele’ comes from a corruption of the Akan word for skin which is called ‘wedeɛ’ in Asante twi and ‘were’ in Akuapem twi. The Northerners who could not pronounce the Akan words properly, pronounced it in a slightly corrupted way – Wele.
This pronunciation became ubiquitous probably because of the popularity of the waakye dish, a special part the traditional ghanaian breakfast. Waakye is a Hausa meal of kidney beans and rice and is eaten with stew and pepper with cow meat, chicken, wele and fish. As waakye became more and more popular in Ghana, so did wele because it was a standard part of waakye cuisine. The name got stuck and here we are.
Uses in stews and soups
A Ghanaian meal of Banku and Okro soup with wele, fish and meat.
With its rising popularity also came its increased usefulness. Many people now add it to their stews and soups. It is however much more prominent with Okro, palm nut, groundnut, and light soups as well as all kinds of stews. Before coming to life in soups and stews, wele goes through a slow and quite laborious process.
After the slaughter of the cow and the separation of the muscles and offal from the skin, the skin is singed traditionally with burning firewood to remove all the hair and fur. Due to increased urbanization and the increasing cost of firewood, many are resorting to cheaper options as used car tyres to get the job done.
There have been many calls to use less car tyres and more firewood for the sake of the environment. After singeing the hide blackens, shrinks and becomes considerably hard. It is then sun dried so that it doesn’t become mouldy. Afterwards, it is sold to retailers who buy from the big trucks and boil it.
Boiling the cow hide is done strategically; the part of the skin closest to the neck is the softest and the part closer to the tail is the thickest. Hence the tail part of the skin is put in the cauldron first.
The boiling is done for about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the thickness of the hide. Usually, hides from older animals are thicker and require more time to boil so the boiling time varies. When the boiling is done, the hide is rolled and soaked in water for 24 hours after which it is cut into smaller pieces for retail. By the time the wele has gone through the boiling and soaking processes, there is a noticeable color change. From black to pale brown.
After cutting it into smaller pieces, the cow hide is soaked in water until it is sold. This is done to keep it looking fresh and meaty because it does not look as appetizing when dehydrated.
While the traditional methods of preparing the cow hide is still popular in many parts of Ghana, there have been quite some modern adaptations so as to produce these on a large scale. However, a number of the wele processing comes from people who are into cattle rearing and sales and they have some modern equipment to speed up the production rate because it is quite cumbersome to produce.
The Nigerian dish of Nkwobi featuring wele, bitterleaf and sauce.
The evolution of Wele in gourmet cuisine
Because of its popularity, many modern chefs and cooks keep on experimenting and trying out new recipes and flavor profiles. In some upscale restaurants, creative interpretations of wele are being served to customers as part of a gourmet dish or part of an innovative fusion cuisine.
Many love the texture of wele and it is a delight to consume. However there are a few problems one can encounter when eating wele. The wele can be too hard to chew. This usually happens if it has not been boiled enough and, let’s face it, a very hard wele is not fun to eat.
Another problem is when the wele becomes too gummy where the wele can be chewed into a pulp. Many do not like these kinds of wele. Notably, people in Burkina Faso eat soup with only wele and this is combined with baguette. In Nigeria, wele is cooked and spiced and eaten with bitter leaf and sauce and the whole combination is called Nkwobi.
Yes. Wele has become part of the cultural identity of West African people.
