[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":409},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:shito":3,"recipe:country:ghana":194},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":77,"diet":79,"mainIngredients":84,"ingredients":89,"instructions":139,"nutrition":169,"images":175,"keywords":185,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"shito","Shito (Ghanaian Black Chili and Smoked Fish Sauce)","Shito","SHEE-toh","ghana","Greater Accra","🌶️","Onions, dried chili, ginger, dried shrimp and smoked fish fried down in oil for well over an hour until the pot turns almost black. One jar seasons months of meals.","Shito is a dark, oily chili paste that Ghanaians keep in a jar and put on nearly everything: waakye, jollof, plain rice, kenkey, fried fish, boiled yam, bread. Onion is fried until it collapses, then ground dried chili, ginger and garlic go in, then powdered dried shrimp and smoked fish, and the whole thing cooks slowly until the moisture is gone and the paste turns near-black under a clear layer of oil. It is hot, deeply savoury, smoky and salty all at once, with a slow heat that keeps arriving after you have swallowed. The word simply means pepper in Ga.","Shito comes out of Ga kitchens on the Accra coast and has spread to the point where it is effectively a national condiment — sold in jars in every Ghanaian supermarket, packed into suitcases by students leaving the country, and made in enormous batches by mothers who then distribute it to relatives abroad. It has an obvious practical logic behind it: fried in enough oil and cooked until dry, it keeps for a very long time without refrigeration, which mattered a great deal before it mattered less.\n\nThe two versions worth knowing are black shito and green shito. Black shito is the one described here, built on dried chili and dried seafood and cooked long. Green shito is fresh, made from kpakpo shito and other green chilies with onion and sometimes fresh herbs, and it is served immediately rather than kept. There is also a straightforward split between fish shito and shrimp-heavy shito, and households will tell you their proportion is the correct one.\n\nMaking it is not difficult but it demands patience and a willingness to stand at the stove. The onions alone want half an hour to go from raw to sweet and collapsed, and after everything is in, the paste needs another hour of low, watchful cooking while the water drives off and the colour deepens through brown into something close to black. The point of doneness is visible rather than timed: the solids sink, stop spitting, and a distinct layer of dark oil floats free on top. That oil layer is also the preservation, so shito is always jarred with enough of it to cover the paste completely. Most Ghanaians will tell you the batch is better after a week in the jar than on the day it was made.",[15,16,17,18],"Takes the onions all the way down before anything else goes in, which is where the depth under the chili comes from.","Cooks the paste until the oil separates and floats clear, the only reliable indication that enough water has gone.","Uses ground dried shrimp and smoked fish separately rather than one generic seafood powder, so you can tune the balance.","Explains how to jar and keep it safely, including why the oil layer on top is not optional.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Grind the smoked fish and dried shrimp to a fine powder in a spice grinder before they go in. Coarse flakes stay stringy and never blend into the paste.","Debone smoked fish carefully by hand. A single missed bone in a jar you will be eating from for two months is a genuine problem.","Use more oil than feels reasonable. The solids must stay submerged in the pot and in the jar — this is what preserves it, not an indulgence.","Keep the heat low once the chili is in. Ground chili scorches fast and burnt chili gives the whole batch a bitter, ashy taste that never lifts.","Open a window and consider standing back when the chili first hits the oil. A kilo of frying dried chili will clear a kitchen.","Let it cool completely before jarring. Sealing warm shito traps steam, which condenses on the lid and drips water back into the paste, shortening its life dramatically.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Smoked herring or mackerel","Any firm smoked fish, or an extra 60 g of dried shrimp","Smoked fish supplies the smoke and the salt. Going shrimp-only makes a sweeter, more prawn-forward shito, which is a recognised style rather than a compromise.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Ground dried Ghanaian chili","A mix of ground cayenne and mild ground dried chili","Straight cayenne alone is fiercely hot and slightly one-dimensional, so cut it with a milder chili powder for colour and body. Aim for a blend that is hot but not only hot.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Dried shrimp","Dried crayfish powder, sold in West African shops","Ground dried crayfish is used interchangeably in many Ghanaian kitchens and gives a slightly deeper, funkier note. Use the same weight.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Green shito","A fresh, uncooked-tasting version blended from green chilies, onion and herbs and used within a few days. Sharper and brighter, with none of the smoke.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Shrimp shito","Made with dried shrimp and no fish at all, giving a sweeter, more distinctly prawn-flavoured paste that suits plain rice and boiled yam.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Vegetarian shito","Dried mushrooms ground in place of the seafood, with extra ginger and a little soy for depth. Not traditional in any sense, but it holds together as a condiment.",[50],"A spoonful on the side of waakye, jollof, plain rice, kenkey with fried fish, or boiled yam. It is also very good on bread and on scrambled eggs.","Jar the cooled shito in clean, dry glass with at least a centimetre of oil covering the paste, and it keeps 3 months refrigerated and several weeks in a cool cupboard. Always use a clean dry spoon — a wet or used spoon introduces moisture and bacteria and is the usual reason a jar spoils. Top up the oil layer if it drops below the surface after heavy use. It freezes for a year in small containers, though it is rarely necessary. Discard any jar that smells sour or fermented rather than smoky.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"How long does homemade shito actually keep?","About three months in the fridge and several weeks in a cool cupboard, provided the paste stays fully submerged under oil and you only ever dip a clean dry spoon into it. The oil layer excludes air and the long cooking drives off the water, which is what preserves it. Any moisture reintroduced afterwards shortens that considerably.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Why did my shito turn bitter?","The chili burnt. Ground dried chili scorches within seconds on high heat, and the acrid flavour spreads through the whole batch and cannot be cooked or diluted out. Lower the heat before the chili goes in, stir continuously for the first few minutes, and use a heavy pot that does not develop hot spots.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"Is shito supposed to be this oily?","Yes. The oil is doing three jobs: carrying the chili heat, cooking the solids down without burning, and sealing the finished paste from the air so it keeps. A shito that is not sitting under a layer of oil has either been under-oiled or over-reduced, and it will not last as long in the jar.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"Can I make shito without dried fish or shrimp?","You can make a chili paste, but the smoky, savoury depth that makes shito recognisable comes from the dried seafood. Ground dried mushrooms with extra ginger and a splash of soy sauce give a vegetarian version with real body. Call it what you like — it is useful, but it is not the same condiment.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"How hot is shito meant to be?","Hot, but not only hot. A good batch has a slow heat that builds after swallowing, sitting on top of onion sweetness, smoke and salt. If yours is painfully sharp and tastes of nothing else, the chili blend was probably all cayenne — cut it with a milder ground dried chili next time for colour and body.",[69,70,71,72],"Large heavy pot","Spice or coffee grinder","Blender","Sterilised glass jars",24,25,95,"medium",[78],"sauce",[80,81,82,83],"gluten-free","dairy-free","pescatarian","nut-free",[85,86,87,88],"dried-shrimp","onion","chili-flakes","ginger",[90,95,100,103,108,113,118,122,124,129,133,136],{"qty":91,"unit":92,"name":93,"group":94},500,"ml","groundnut or sunflower oil","For the base",{"ref":86,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":98,"note":99,"group":94},700,"g","onions, blended to a smooth purée","about 5 large onions",{"ref":88,"qty":101,"unit":97,"name":102,"group":94},60,"fresh ginger, blended with the onion",{"ref":104,"qty":105,"unit":106,"name":107,"group":94},"garlic",8,"clove","garlic, blended with the onion",{"ref":109,"qty":110,"unit":111,"name":112,"group":94},"tomato-paste",3,"tbsp","tomato paste",{"ref":87,"qty":114,"unit":97,"name":115,"note":116,"group":117},120,"ground dried chili","a blend of hot and mild — see substitutions","For the pepper",{"ref":85,"qty":119,"unit":97,"name":120,"group":121},100,"dried shrimp, ground to a powder","For the seafood",{"qty":114,"unit":97,"name":123,"group":121},"smoked herring or mackerel, deboned and ground",{"qty":125,"unit":126,"name":127,"group":128},0.5,"tsp","ground cloves","For the seasoning",{"qty":130,"unit":126,"name":131,"optional":132,"group":128},1,"ground aniseed",true,{"ref":134,"qty":130,"unit":126,"name":135,"group":128},"black-pepper","ground black pepper",{"qty":137,"unit":126,"name":138,"group":128},2,"fine salt",[140,144,149,153,158,161,165],{"title":141,"text":142,"tip":143},"Prepare the seafood","Pull the smoked fish apart with your fingers, removing every bone and any tough skin, then grind it with the dried shrimp to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Set aside.","Go slowly on the bones. You will be eating out of this jar for weeks.",{"title":145,"text":146,"timerSeconds":147,"tip":148},"Fry the onion base down","Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the blended onion, ginger and garlic. Cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring often, until the purée has lost its water, darkened to a deep golden brown and the oil has begun to separate at the edges.",2000,"It will spit hard for the first ten minutes as the water boils off. Use a splatter guard and keep stirring.",{"title":150,"text":151,"timerSeconds":152},"Add the tomato paste","Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 4 minutes, until it darkens from red to brown and stops smelling sharp. The base should now look like a thick, glossy, dark jam sitting in oil.",240,{"title":154,"text":155,"timerSeconds":156,"tip":157},"Bloom the chili","Turn the heat to low, add the ground chili and stir constantly for 3 minutes. The colour will deepen almost immediately and the kitchen will fill with fumes — open a window before this step, not during it.",180,"Chili scorches in seconds on high heat and burnt chili ruins the batch. Low heat, constant movement.",{"title":159,"text":160},"Stir in the seafood and spices","Add the ground shrimp and smoked fish, the cloves, aniseed, black pepper and salt, and stir until everything is evenly wet with oil. The mixture will tighten and look grainy at this stage, which is normal.",{"title":162,"text":163,"timerSeconds":164},"Cook it black","Cook on the lowest heat for 50–60 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base. The paste will darken through brown to near-black, stop spitting, sink under the surface, and leave a clear layer of dark oil floating on top. That oil is the finish line.",3300,{"title":166,"text":167,"tip":168},"Cool and jar","Take the pot off the heat and leave it to cool completely — several hours is normal. Spoon into clean dry jars, pressing the paste down and making sure at least a centimetre of oil covers it, then seal and refrigerate.","Never jar it warm. Trapped steam condenses on the lid and drips water back into the shito.",{"calories":170,"protein":171,"carbs":172,"fat":173,"fiber":130,"sodium":174,"estimated":132},195,5,4,19,420,[176,179,181,183],{"src":177,"alt":178},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fshito\u002Fhero.jpg","Jar of near-black Ghanaian shito chili sauce under a layer of dark oil, with a spoonful beside it",{"src":180,"alt":178},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fshito\u002Fhero-16x9.jpg",{"src":182,"alt":178},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fshito\u002Fhero-4x3.jpg",{"src":184,"alt":178},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fshito\u002Fhero-1x1.jpg",[4,186,187,188,189,190,191],"ghanaian pepper sauce","black chili sauce","dried shrimp","smoked fish","condiment","ga cooking","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":195,"total":201,"page":130,"limit":73,"hasMore":408},[196,222,244,272,294,317,340,360,381,388],{"slug":197,"title":198,"nativeName":199,"countrySlug":8,"region":200,"baseServings":172,"prepMinutes":201,"cookMinutes":202,"difficulty":76,"course":203,"diet":205,"mainIngredients":208,"images":211,"keywords":215,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"banku","Banku (Ghanaian Fermented Corn and Cassava Dough)","Banku","Greater Accra and Volta",10,35,[204],"side",[206,207,80,81,83],"vegan","vegetarian",[209,210],"cornmeal","cassava",[212],{"src":213,"alt":214},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanku\u002Fhero.jpg","Two smooth white balls of Ghanaian banku on a plate with grilled tilapia and red ground pepper sauce",[197,216,217,218,219,220,221],"fermented corn dough","ghanaian swallow","grilled tilapia","okro stew","ga food","cassava dough",{"slug":223,"title":224,"nativeName":225,"countrySlug":8,"region":226,"baseServings":172,"prepMinutes":227,"cookMinutes":202,"difficulty":228,"course":229,"diet":230,"mainIngredients":231,"images":233,"keywords":237,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"ghanaian-fufu","Fufu (Ghanaian Pounded Cassava and Plantain)","Fufuo","Ashanti and the Akan south",20,"hard",[204],[206,207,80,81,83],[210,232],"plantain",[234],{"src":235,"alt":236},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fghanaian-fufu\u002Fhero.jpg","Smooth pale ball of Ghanaian fufu sitting in a bowl of soup with meat resting on top",[238,239,240,217,241,242,243],"fufu","pounded cassava","green plantain","akan food","waduro","west african staple",{"slug":245,"title":246,"nativeName":247,"countrySlug":8,"region":248,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":227,"cookMinutes":250,"restMinutes":201,"difficulty":76,"course":251,"diet":253,"mainIngredients":255,"images":260,"keywords":264,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"ghanaian-jollof-rice","Ghana Jollof (Aromatic Rice Cooked in Its Own Stew)","Jollof","Nationwide",6,55,[252],"main",[80,81,254],"halal-friendly",[256,257,258,259],"jasmine-rice","tomato","bell-pepper","scotch-bonnet",[261],{"src":262,"alt":263},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fghanaian-jollof-rice\u002Fhero.jpg","Pot of orange Ghanaian jollof rice with separate grains, served with fried plantain and dark shito on the side",[265,266,267,268,269,270,271],"jollof rice","ghana jollof","west african rice","one pot rice","scotch bonnet","jollof wars","party rice",{"slug":273,"title":274,"nativeName":275,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":172,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":276,"restMinutes":276,"difficulty":277,"course":278,"diet":281,"mainIngredients":282,"images":283,"keywords":287,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"kelewele","Kelewele (Ghanaian Spiced Fried Plantain)","Kelewele",15,"easy",[279,280],"street-food","snack",[206,207,80,81],[232,88],[284],{"src":285,"alt":286},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkelewele\u002Fhero.jpg","Paper cone of dark caramelised Ghanaian kelewele plantain cubes topped with roasted groundnuts",[273,288,289,290,291,292,293],"spiced fried plantain","ghanaian street food","ginger chili plantain","accra snack","vegan snack","groundnuts",{"slug":295,"title":296,"nativeName":297,"countrySlug":8,"region":248,"baseServings":298,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":276,"restMinutes":299,"difficulty":277,"course":300,"diet":302,"mainIngredients":303,"images":305,"keywords":309,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"nkate-cake","Nkate Cake (Ghanaian Peanut Brittle)","Nkate cake",12,40,[280,301],"dessert",[206,207,80,81],[304],"peanuts",[306],{"src":307,"alt":308},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fnkate-cake\u002Fhero.jpg","Broken slabs of dark Ghanaian nkate cake peanut brittle showing whole roasted groundnuts set in caramel",[310,311,312,313,314,315,316],"nkate cake","peanut brittle","ghanaian snack","groundnut caramel","street snack","two ingredient sweet","twi",{"slug":318,"title":319,"nativeName":320,"countrySlug":8,"region":321,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":322,"difficulty":76,"course":323,"diet":325,"mainIngredients":326,"images":329,"keywords":333,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"ghanaian-groundnut-soup","Nkatenkwan (Ghanaian Groundnut Soup with Chicken)","Nkatenkwan","Ashanti",75,[324,252],"soup",[80,81,254],[327,328,257,88],"peanut-butter","chicken",[330],{"src":331,"alt":332},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fghanaian-groundnut-soup\u002Fhero.jpg","Thick orange-brown Ghanaian groundnut soup with chicken on the bone and a film of oil on the surface",[334,335,336,337,238,338,339],"groundnut soup","nkatenkwan","peanut soup","ghanaian soup","chicken soup","west african peanut",{"slug":341,"title":342,"nativeName":343,"countrySlug":8,"region":344,"baseServings":172,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":75,"difficulty":277,"course":345,"diet":346,"mainIngredients":347,"images":349,"keywords":353,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"ghanaian-light-soup","Nkrakra (Ghanaian Light Tomato and Ginger Soup)","Nkrakra","Ashanti and nationwide",[324],[80,81,254,83],[348,257,88,86],"goat",[350],{"src":351,"alt":352},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fghanaian-light-soup\u002Fhero.jpg","Bowl of clear orange-red Ghanaian light soup with goat on the bone and a ball of fufu half submerged",[354,355,356,357,358,359,269],"light soup","nkrakra","ghanaian goat soup","ginger broth","oil free soup","fufu soup",{"slug":361,"title":362,"nativeName":363,"countrySlug":8,"region":364,"baseServings":172,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":365,"difficulty":277,"course":366,"diet":367,"mainIngredients":368,"images":369,"keywords":373,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"red-red","Red Red (Ghanaian Bean Stew with Fried Plantain)","Red red","Southern Ghana",65,[252],[206,207,80,81],[232,257,86,259],[370],{"src":371,"alt":372},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fred-red\u002Fhero.jpg","Bowl of rust-red Ghanaian cowpea stew beside golden fried ripe plantain slices and a scattering of gari",[374,375,376,377,378,379,380],"red red","ghanaian bean stew","black-eyed peas","red palm oil","fried plantain","vegan west african","gari",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":382,"diet":383,"mainIngredients":384,"images":385,"keywords":387,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},[78],[80,81,82,83],[85,86,87,88],[386],{"src":177,"alt":178},[4,186,187,188,189,190,191],{"slug":389,"title":390,"nativeName":391,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":276,"cookMinutes":392,"restMinutes":201,"difficulty":76,"course":393,"diet":395,"mainIngredients":396,"images":399,"keywords":403,"publishedAt":192,"updatedAt":192,"authorSlug":193},"ghanaian-waakye","Waakye (Ghanaian Rice and Beans Cooked with Sorghum Leaves)","Waakye",70,[252,394],"breakfast",[207,80,81],[397,398],"rice","eggs",[400],{"src":401,"alt":402},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fghanaian-waakye\u002Fhero.jpg","Plate of red-brown Ghanaian waakye rice and beans topped with gari, a halved boiled egg and dark shito sauce",[404,405,406,4,380,407,267],"waakye","ghanaian rice and beans","sorghum leaves","accra street food",false,1787360056247]