The Ministry of Inner-City and Zongo Development (MICZD) has launched a magazine dubbed ‘Zongo Cuisine Magazine’ to promote local beverages and foods in the Zongo communities to the world.

The magazine, which contains a compilation of some popular delicacies of Zongo communities in the country, seeks to increase household incomes through promotional activities that expand market access for the teaming households involved in the Zongo cuisine business.

It is the best vehicles into the culinary culture of the Zongo people and contains 46 foods that reflect the diverse cultures of the Zongo communities in Ghana.

These cuisines have been put into five main categories, such as beverages, snacks, soups and sauces, accompaniments and one-pot dishes.

“For each food type, information on the origin, ingredients, preparation process as well as the nutritional and health benefits have been provided,” it stated.

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Minister of MICZD, outdooring the Magazine said the Ministry anticipates that this would improve the image of Zongo communities across Ghana and the world to bring diversity in the culinary experience to many Ghanaian homes and foreigners alike.

This is a by-product of one of the economic empowerment flagship programmes under the Zongo Cuisine Promotion Programme and would be updated yearly, he stated.

He said the first phase of the Zongo Cuisine Promotion Programme was being implemented in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area in partnership with the National Board for Small Skill Industries (NBSSI).

“Under this programme, participants were taken through modules such as Entrepreneurship and Business Management, financial literacy, occupational safety, health and environmental management, food presentation, practical methods of food and safety management as well as packaging and branding,” the Minister said.

Dr Abdul-Hamid noted that the Ministry intends to continue with a series of Zongo food bazar events in the future so that these cuisines could be promoted further to expand the market access and sales for the food vendors.

He expressed gratitude to all partner institutions for making the initiative a success; particularly NBSSI, the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority.

Mrs Kosi Antwiwaa Yankey-Ayeh, the Executive Director of NBSSI, commended the Ministry for the collaboration to showcase to the world how appetizing Zongo cuisines look and taste with their enormous nutritional and health benefits.

She said Zongo food businesses, when given the necessary attention, would in the coming years be a sector to employ majority of Ghanaian youth and also be a major contributor to the growth of the economy.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, Management and staff of the NBSSI, I sincerely appreciate the effort of all stakeholders and players of the Ghanaian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector, organisers and beneficiaries of the Zongo Cuisine Promotion Programme”.

“I hope to be served with an appetizing waakye, accompanied with a tasty sobolobo or lamurgie drink onboard any airline, foreign or local, on my next trip to any part of Africa, Europe, the Americas or Asia,” she stated.

Mrs Yankey-Ayeh urged Ghanaians to take delight in the patronage of local dishes, including Zongo cuisines, in order to help boost the economy and be in the right state of health for a prosperous nation.

Mr Boniface Abubakar Saddique, the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, expressed gratitude to the Minister for the initiative to help transform Zongo communities.

Beneficiaries of the programme were presented with a certificate of participation at the end of the training.