Shito facts for kids

Jars of Shito

Gravy with Shito (at top, green, red and black)

Shito is a popular hot pepper sauce from Ghana. People also call it shitor din, which means 'black pepper' in the Ga language. This tasty sauce is found everywhere in Ghanaian cuisine.

Shito sauce is usually made with fish oil or vegetable oil. Other key ingredients include ginger, dried fish, prawns, and other crustaceans. It also has tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and different spices. These ingredients are blended and cooked in oil for about an hour. The exact mix of spices and fish can be different in various regions of Ghana. However, the original recipe comes from the Ga tribe.

What is Shito Used For?

In Ghana, people use shito with many different foods. It goes well with dishes like kenkey, steamed rice, garri, and waakye (a mix of rice and beans). It is also often eaten with banku. Shito is like a local version of ketchup, hot sauce, or chili oil. You might even find people eating shito with white bread or spring rolls. In many Chinese restaurants in Ghana, shito is used instead of layou (another chili oil) for fried rice or steamed rice.

Different Kinds of Shito

Shito is not always a hot black pepper sauce. It can also be made without oil. This type of shito uses fresh pepper, onions, tomatoes, and a little salt. These ingredients are mashed together in a special earthenware bowl called an 'asanka', using a pestle shaped like an hour glass. The sauce made this way can be red, called shitor tsulu, or green, called kpakpo shito. The color depends on the color of the peppers used. This oil-free shito can be eaten with banku, akple, gari, kenkey, and steamed rice.

Images for kids

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  Fante Kenkey with Shito and Sardine