Jollof rice, a typical West African food that spreads to the world
Trying jollof rice in West Africa is a must since this is the most famous local food. It is also called as "reddish one-pot dish” and varies in style in each country of the continent. Nowadays the food is also available in African restaurants around the world. We are going ahead to know more details.
What is Jollof rice?
It is said that jollof rice originated in the West African region in the 14th-16th centuries, the time of ancient Wolof or Jollof Empire. Senegal is considered to be the motherland of this food. Thanks to its delicious flavor and taste, jollof has gradually been turning popular around the ‘dark continent’.
Jollof is also called a “one-pot dish”, as all ingredients are served on one dish only. Taking the flavor from herbs and seasoning is the priority. Onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, thyme, curry and salt are essential to make the feature smell of the food. Moreover, the temperature and time of cooking are also paid attention to release a harmony of rice and seasonings.
In Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana, people eat jollof every day. It is usually served with fried rice, baked beef, roasted pork, prawn, oyster and salad as well. It tastes best right after cooking. A sip of red wine coming along is the most wonderful experience.
Traditional jollof with chicken
Types of jollof rice
Although it originated from Senegal, jollof can be found everywhere in Africa and African restaurants around the world. In each region, the locals change a little bit of the recipe, therefore, the food varies in West African countries.
Nigerian jollof rice
The Nigerian usually use long-grain parboiled rice. Tomatoes and tomato paste, pepper, onion, stock cube and vegetable oil are the main seasonings for Nigerian jollof. They always serve the food with many choices of fried plantains, moimois, coleslaw, salad and steamed vegetables etc.
Along the Nigerian coastline, local people often use seafood such as prawn, periwinkle and crayfish to replace chicken or meat, which are most favorite in mainland. One of the interesting things is that the food is served in a coconut bowl, thus looking impressive and tropical-featuring. One dish includes sufficient starch, protein, omega-3 fat and various spices.
Nigerian jollof rice is served with another dish.
Nigerian jollof is often little spicy, cooked over a fire-wood and allowed to burn at the bottom to give a smoky flavor. Natives also add bay leafs to make rich smoke of the food.
Ghanian Jollof rice
Like Nigeria, Ghana is also a tropical country famous for coconut, mango, pepper, tomato and onion. Thus, the Ghanian bring their local ingredients into the native cuisine. Their jollof is made with basmati rice, which is similar to Thai jasmine, mostly imported from India. This type of rice contains more starch than the long-grain parboiled rice and has an aromatic smell.
A dish of Ghanian jollof rice.
Unlike making jollof in Nigeria, the Ghanian prepare tomato stew, meat stock and cook the rice once. They use shito, an oily condiment made from peppers, ginger, onion and shrimp, to make a more spicy flavor. The dish is served as a daily meal and is the must-have food in every party in this country.
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