Ghana’s Ambassador to South Korea, Kojo Choi, marked the beginning of the New Year by celebrating Ghanaian culture at home in Seoul, sharing a hearty meal of banku with his family.
In a series of vibrant photos shared on his Facebook page, the ambassador was captured seated with his nuclear and extended family, gathered around the traditional Ghanaian staple. He simply captioned the moment, “Happy New Year from Seoul.”
Ambassador Choi explained that the choice of meal was driven by his children, who had once again requested banku as their preferred way to usher in the New Year. He described the dish as a family favourite and a meaningful ritual that has become part of their celebrations abroad.
“We welcomed the New Year in Seoul with banku once again by popular request from the children,” he wrote.
Served with okro stew, the meal, he noted, carried more than flavour. It symbolised home, identity, and a deep sense of patriotism. Despite being thousands of kilometres away, the family felt spiritually connected to Ghana through the food they shared.
“Food has a way of carrying memory, identity, and home across borders. Even thousands of kilometres away, Ghana remains right here at our table,” the ambassador reflected.
He ended the post with a cheerful “Banku to the world,” explaining that it formed part of his ongoing “Ghana to the World” series, which showcases Ghana’s culture and traditions on the global stage.
“New year. Same roots. Same love,” he added, inviting followers to share what they ate to welcome the New Year.
The post resonated widely with Ghanaians online, many of whom praised the ambassador for proudly projecting Ghanaian culture abroad and highlighting the powerful role food plays in preserving national identity.
The Choi family had earlier marked Christmas Day with another traditional Ghanaian meal, waakye, reinforcing their commitment to keeping Ghanaian culture alive, even while living far from home.