Ultimate Guide to Jollof Rice (Learn How to: Make Good Jollof!)

Original Story Published by: Hudson for Afrikanza

Jollof rice is a popular West African cuisine. It has its origins in the Senegambia region. It derives its name from the Jollof Empire that once ruled the Senegambia. This empire belonged to the Wolof people. The Wolof people themselves call it Benachin.

Jollof cuisine has many variants from region to region. The kind of Jollof rice being prepared in Nigeria varies from that being prepared in Senegal or Ghana. Although there are many variations, there are striking similarities in terms of basic ingredients, preparation methods, and outlook.

Basic ingredients of Jollof Rice

Rice
Tomatoes and tomato paste
Cooking oil
Onions
Spices
Chili peppers

The Rice
The rice used to make Jollof varies from place to place. For example, in Senegal, they use broken rice to make Jollof. In Nigeria, they mostly long grained rice. In Ghana, they use aromatic Basmati rice.

Tomatoes and tomato paste
Apart from rice, the second most important ingredient is tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes used. Most of the cuisines use tomato paste while some other use both fried tomatoes and tomato paste. This tomato paste is traditionally made by frying until it forms a paste. However, with blenders, some people simply decide to blend a tomato paste, as it is quicker than frying it into a paste.

Cooking oil
The main cooking oil used in making Jollof Rice is palm oil. This is due to it being so plenty in West Africa.

Spices
Jollof rice is never flat. There is a huge variety of spices put in. The most commonly used spices are ginger, cumin, and nutmeg.

Chili pepper
There are many varieties of chili peppers used depending on their local availability. However, the most commonly used pepper is Scotch bonnet.

Onions
Different varieties of onions can be used. However, those with strong taste are preferred.

Accompaniments
Jollof Rice is mostly served with goat meat, beef, chicken, turkey, and eggs. Fish is occasionally used as an accompaniment for those communities where fish is common.

The Jollof ‘superpowers’

Jollof rice has its own politics. Though its origins in Senegal are not so hotly contested due to its name, there is always a contest as to who makes the best Jollof. This is usually a hot contest between Ghanaians and Nigerians and sometimes often leads to heated political debates bordering on extreme nationalism.