Consumer Perception on New Ways of Preparing and Presenting “Koose” and Leaves in Wa, Ghana

Background and Objective: Koose as an economical Ghanaian local dish prepared from cowpea can be eaten with moringa leaves or
velvet tamarind leaves as a meal in the Northern part of Ghana. As part of strategies to promote the consumption of Ghanaian local dishes,
the study sought to review the form of preparing and presenting the meal, introduce a different approach to the preparation and
presentation of the meal as well as preparing the meal with dandelion leaves and testing its acceptability within the Wa Township.
Materials and Methods: The study employed a descriptive survey design with a sample size of 156 consumers as panellists for sensory
evaluation of three samples of the food. The sensory characteristics of the three samples of “koose” and leaves were judged by panellists
using the hedonic scale of five-point on the sensory attributes of appearance, overall taste, moisture, texture, aroma, preparation and
acceptability amongst other things. Results: Using the Kruskal-Wallis Test, significant differences were seen in appearance across the
3 categories of food samples. The findings revealed that the appearance of “koose with leaves” presented as koose salad was preferred
over the usual koose mashed with leaves presented. The sample prepared with dandelion leaves were perceived to be more moist and
tender than the samples prepared from moringa leaves. The preparation of samples 2 and 3 was perceived to be more hygienic than
sample 1. The study revealed that koose salad was more accepted. Conclusion: Local dishes will have to be presented neatly and
attractively to boost patronage as consumers will find more attractively served dishes more acceptable