Abena Nyarko is the Program Coordinator at The Blackstone Launchpad. She is originally from Ghana, Africa and first came to live in the United States for college. Abena graduated from Temple University in 2015 where she got her B.B.A in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. She started her job here at Philadelphia University right out of college. Since she is from a different country, there are many factors that were a part of her culture shock while coming to live in America. One of the many factors were the differences in certain trends such as food. There were American habits that she was not necessarily used to such as the type of breakfast people would eat, who they would eat with, even where they would eat. Compared to the United States, there are many similarities yet many differences.
Her Campus: What do you eat for breakfast?
Abena Nyarko: Overall, our meals are carb and meat heavy. Typical dishes would be cornmeal porridge with bread/fried drop donut, A spicy millet porridge with bread / drop donuts, Tom brown with bread, Hot Chocolate or English Tea with bread (with or without fried eggs. The eggs could be plain or omelet style), Rice-water porridge. Almost everything listed is eaten with bread, unless you opt for drop donuts.
HC: Where do you eat your breakfast?
AN: That is something that has not changed for me. Most of the meals are made at home and eaten before one would leave for work or school.
HC: Who do you eat your breakfast with?
AN: In Ghana, always with family whether it is with my parents or siblings. Here, I do not have that option so I am usually eating by myself unless it is with my roommate.
HC: When do you eat your breakfast?
AN: I would typically eat breakfast between 5am and 7am. Yet now that I have a much later schedule, I eat a bit later around 9 or 10 am.
HC: What liquids are consumed (water, coffee, tea, juices; are they flavored)?
AN: Tea and Hot Chocolate mainly. Although I did notice that a lot of Americans drink a lot of coffee, I only drink it once in a while.
HC: When you lived in Ghana, was protein (eggs, meat) a part of the meal? Or is it more likely that people eat starch like rice or bread?
AN: There is always something starchy involved, whether it’s the porridge or the bread. My personal preference then and now is to add egg or other protein. In Ghana, other protein such as meat comes into the picture depending on wealth. Like for example, I know the kids I went to school with and I eat meals like pancakes, sausage, might blend up a smoothie because we know what it is; yet, many the population in Ghana are not exposed to those certain foods.
HC: How much do people eat (is this a main meal or just a light snack)?
AN: Breakfast is definitely considered the most important meal of the day whether you are in Ghana or in America.
HC: Are there any special packaging requirements (single serve; stove top/microwave; special containers – insulated coffee cups with sip lids)?
AN: Not too sure about any special packaging requirements. Depending on your economic class in Ghana, you may not even have a microwave or coffee maker which is usually very common for the majority of Americans to have.