Where to Start with Zoe Adjonyoh
Zoe Adjonyoh is a writer, chef, and food justice activist based in London. Born to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother, she grew up navigating two food cultures, an experience that shaped her distinctive approach to cooking. She founded the Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen pop-up restaurant and supper club, which quickly became a sensation in London’s food scene for its energetic, modern take on traditional Ghanaian dishes. The pop-up evolved into a cookbook of the same name, which was named a New York Times Best Cookbook of the Year. Adjonyoh is also the founder of an online spice shop and works at the intersection of food, culture, and politics, advocating for fair trade practices and the decolonization of the spice trade in Africa. Her cooking style blends traditional Ghanaian techniques with contemporary influences, making the cuisine feel both rooted and fresh.
Start here
Zoe's Ghana Kitchen
Zoe Adjonyoh · 256 pages · 2017 · Easy
Themes: ghanaian cuisine, modern african cooking, home cooking, street food
A vibrant, modern take on Ghanaian cooking from the chef who turned a London pop-up into a movement. Adjonyoh remixes traditional Ghanaian recipes for the contemporary home kitchen while keeping the soul of the cuisine intact.
Why Start Here
This is Adjonyoh’s signature work, born directly from the pop-up restaurant that made her name. The recipes are designed to make people happy, not to intimidate. She covers the full range of Ghanaian cooking, from jollof rice and groundnut soup to kelewele (spiced fried plantain) and red red (black-eyed bean stew), all written with warmth and clarity.
Adjonyoh’s background between two food cultures gives her a natural ability to explain Ghanaian ingredients and techniques to newcomers. She tells you what grains of paradise taste like, how to handle scotch bonnet peppers, and why palm oil matters, all without ever talking down to the reader.
What to Expect
A 256-page cookbook with colorful photography and an energetic, encouraging tone throughout. The recipes span soups, stews, grilled meats, rice dishes, and sweets. Most are accessible to home cooks of all levels. The revised American edition includes updated sourcing information for the US market. Named a New York Times Best Cookbook of the Year.