Ghana, Nigeria or Senegal Chase Asks: Best Jollof Rice?
Actor Michael B. Jordan laughts it up with Chef Tolu Eros in a commerical for the Chase Sapphire credit card that delves into the West African Jollof Rice debate. Photo by Chase.
If you want to start a fight amongst West African nations, there are two subjects that will set it off; which country has the best soccer team and who makes the best Jollof Rice. The delicacy is a staple cuisine throughout the region. However, when it comes to which version is the best, it basically comes down to two things, who you are asking and your personal tastes.
However, Chase Sapphire has upped the ante on this debate that goes back generations in a commercial featuring actor Michael B. Jordan. In it, Jordan, along with an eclectic table of guests, dive into the history, connections, and flavors of Jollof Rice at a Sapphire Reserve Private Dining Event curated by Chef Tolu Eros.
“We bring the three of them (recipes) together. It’s called Unity Jollof Rice,” Eros explains. “One people. One Jollof.”
Also featured in the commercial is WNBA player and ESPN basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike. She said her mother taught her how to make Jollof Rice, but that she ended up adapting the recipe to her own style.
“My mom was like, ‘don’t turn too hard because we like the bottom crisp.’ But as I got older, I started to appreciate the different versions,” Ogwumike said.
Chef Lola Osinkolu says there are a variety of ways one can prepare Jollof Rice. The key is patience when mixing all of the ingredients. Photo from chefloloskitchen.com
Jollof Rice is believed to have originated in Senegal, though some say Gambia. Chef Serigne Mbaye, owner of Dakar NOLA, a Senegalese restaurant in New Orleans, has a recipe that uses long grain rice, vegetable oil, and optional habanero pepper, that gives the rice an extra kick. Born in New York City, but raised in New Orleans and Dakar, Chef Mbaye learned how to cook from his mother while a child in Senegal. During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, it is estimated that 66 percent of the captives that were transported to Louisiana were from Senegal, according to the National Park Service. This meant the echoes of their food traditions, as well as those of Africans from Haiti and the entire west coast of Africa, still have a large influence in the Creole pots of New Orleans.
Nigerian cook, Chef Lola Osinkolu, who now lives in the United States, has a big following online. Born and raised in Nigeria, she said the dish is loved around the world and the versatility in ingredients is what makes Jollof Rice so special. One of the keys in making the dish is patience.
“Building a flavor base is very important,” says Chef Lola on her online recipe. “Don’t be in haste to dump your ingredients in the pot otherwise, you will end up with what we call a ‘concoction.’ Each step counts, so try to do each of the steps in detail.”
Chef Essie Bartels moved to the U.S. from Ghana at the age of 18. She has now made a name for herself with her original spices that can be used on a variety of foods, including Jollof Rice.
Coco-for-Garlic, Mango Chili Medley, are just two of the spices that can be used in the dish. The Mango Chili Medley has a delectable blend of sweet mango, lush vidalia onions, Jamaican scotch bonnet peppers and serves as an essential condiment giving unbelievable flavor to any dish, according to the website. It can be used as a glaze, dip or marinade.
The Chase Sapphire commercial is now airing and will be featured prominently throughout the Olympic Summer Games. And while the Olympics seek to bring the world together as one, the debate over the best Jollof Rice is sure to continue.