The Tapoli is a wooden, hourglass-shaped, two-sided kitchen pestle. The Tapoli is typically accompanied with an Asanka, a heavy, wide clay bowl with etched in ridges. Together, they are akin to a modern-day blender as their main function is to blend and mash Ghanaian ingredients. My family has adopted an unconventional use of the Asanka since immigrating to the U.S. and incorporating American culture into our lifestyle. The Asanka has become a somewhat palimpsest for traditional Ghanaian culture and acts as a way to blend old and new traditions in my family. The usage of the Asanka in my family was utilized in a way to reinforce and embrace my Ghanaian culture and deepen my appreciation for who I am and where I come from. 

 

– Magdalen Kwarteng

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child