ROXBURY, Mass. — The World Cup returns to Boston with Tuesday’s England vs. Ghana match at Boston Stadium.
A local Ghanaian restaurant, RedRed Kitchen, is showcasing its country and culture ahead of the big match.
Located in Roxbury, RedRed brings football and food together as Boston’s only Ghanaian restaurant.
“You can’t watch football without eating, munching on ‘puff puff’ or fried yam,” RedRed co-owner and manager Anna Akomeah said. “It goes together, football here, food here. Twins!”
Akomeah and Will Yakah are the owners of RedRed Kitchen. The restaurant opened three years ago to give the community a taste of their native cuisine.
“We really felt like there was a need to have a Ghanaian restaurant in Boston,” Yakah said. ”That was the motivation for us to start.”
RedRed’s top dish is a sure-fire winner.
“Jollof rice,” Akomeah exclaimed. ”Jollof rice and chicken is the most popular food here. And then agushi, which is spinach stew. And then melon seed, but jollof is the most popular food here.”
The owners are having some fun ahead of the England and Ghana match. England has a player named Declan Rice, so Yakah came up with a punny quip.
“Our jollof rice is better than Declan Rice,” Yakah said with a smile.
Food and football are two things the Ghanaian community is extremely passionate about.
“Oh it’s a very big deal, because in Ghana, we don’t have basketball and other sports,” Akomeah said. “Soccer is the only game that Ghanaians really take pride in, so it’s everything to us.”
RedRed will host a watch party, set to start an hour ahead of the match at 3 p.m. Tuesday. England and Ghana kick off at 4 p.m. on Boston 25.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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