Did you know that World Jollof Rice Day was celebrated on August 22nd? We missed it too! Jollof is a one pot dish, of rice, spices, meat and veg - it was first served in the Wolof Empire*, which covered modern day Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania - but now most countries in West Africa have their own version of the recipe. It is ten years since Jamie Oliver got into trouble demonstrating his own recipe on TV - despite the varied versions from the different countries, his was deemed definitely inauthentic!
In Norwich at the Summer Market the other week, Bob bought a jar of jollof paste from Shirley, an enthusiastic Londoner who is bringing her family's spice blend to the table, making it easy for everyone to put together a pot of jollof.
*Spelt Wolof, it is pronounced Jollof. The empire lasted from 14th-16th centuries. Maps below show the location then and now!
That looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteVery tasty
DeleteOooh-that sounds delicious and like you, I can’t eat anything too spicy. As my sense of smell/ taste hasn’t recovered from Covid in April, I too am always sniffing things to see if I can enjoy them. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI think Bob would make things much spicier of he were not preparing food for me to eat!
DeleteI've not tried it!! Kx
ReplyDeleteFascinating information, it's a very economical dish isn't it, even a little bit of meat goes a long way. Poor Jamie is often slated for being 'inauthentic', but I usually find his substitutions work really well.
ReplyDeleteAs with many 'traditional' dishes, I think the quantity of meat included would depend on the wealth/poverty of the cook. But I like one pot dishes which can be easily extended with more rice or veg
DeleteI learned another new thing from your blog! It sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI had a Nigerian roommate when I was in college and she used to make Jollof. Glad you enjoyed Bob's version of it. :)
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