Origin Stories

Jollof rice origin story

Jollof or jollof rice, is a rice dish originally from West Africa.

The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions.

History and origin

The origins of jollof rice can be traced to the Senegambian region that was ruled by the Wolof or Jolof Empire in the 14th century, spanning parts of today’s Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania, where rice was grown. The dish has its roots in a traditional dish called thieboudienne which contains rice, fish, shellfish and vegetables.

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‘Waachay’/Waakye origin story

Waakye is a Ghanaian dish of cooked rice and beans. The rice and beans, usually black eyed peas or cow beans, are cooked together, along with red dried sorghum leaf sheaths or stalks and limestone. The sorghum leaves give the dish its characteristic flavor and a red appearance and the sorghum is taken out before consumption.

The word waakye is from the Hausa language and means beans. It is the shortened form of the full name shinkafa da wake which means rice and beans.

History and origin

In general, the eating of rice and beans together is actually a common phenomenon in many cultures in the Americas, India and other West African countries. In Brazil, it is a base dish known as “o arroz com feijão”, with which other complex meals with meats and vegetables are served. 

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