A caramel-hued Ghanaian drink of fermented corn sweetened with burnt sugar — malty, tangy, and served cold over ice.

Where does Asaana come from?

Asaana is a Ghanaian dish from Ashanti, Ghana.

Can Asaana be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Asaana recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Asaana take to make?

About 45 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking), serving 6.

Asaana — a Ashanti, Ghana recipe

Name: Asaana
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ghanaian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups fermented corn dough (or cornmeal); 8 cups water; 1 cup sugar (for caramel); 4 cloves

Africa → 🇬🇭 Ghana → Ashanti

Asaana

Ghanaian · medium · serves 6

prep 15 min · cook 30 min

~262 cal · 3g protein · 62g carbs · 1g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Glass of amber corn drink over ice

🇬🇭 Ashanti

Asaana (or aliha) is a traditional Ghanaian corn drink: fermented corn is simmered with deeply caramelized sugar until it turns amber and malty, then strained and chilled. Lightly tangy and toffee-sweet, it is a nostalgic street cooler across southern Ghana.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 6 —

•

1.5 cups fermented corn dough (or cornmeal)

•

8 cups water

•

1 cup sugar (for caramel)

•

4 cloves

Instructions

1

Whisk the corn dough into 6 cups of the water and simmer with the cloves, stirring, for 15 minutes.

2

In a dry pan, melt the sugar over medium heat until it caramelizes to a deep amber (watch it closely).

3

Carefully stir the hot caramel and remaining water into the corn liquid; it will hiss and darken.

4

Simmer 5 more minutes, strain, cool, and serve cold over ice.

Southern Ghanaian street tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Ashanti. Kumasi’s kingdom, where groundnut soup is royal comfort.

🗺️

Ghana. Gold Coast kitchens built on plantain, cassava, and groundnut.

🌍

Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →