Jollof Wars: UNESCO Settles Debate Between Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal

The zenith of the jollof rice debate reached dizzying dimensions earlier this week when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), settled in a swift move a long-standing fierce battle by proclaiming Senegal as the origin of jollof rice.

Jollof rice, also known as Ceebu jën in Senegal is a staple in West African cuisine, is made of rice and fish, accompanied by vegetables and sometimes tomatoes.

According to research by Conversation Africa, the origins of Jollof rice can be traced back to the entrenchment of colonial rule in West Africa between 1860 and 1940. During this period, French colonizers replaced food crops with broken rice imported from Indochina. Over time, broken rice became more prized by the Senegalese than whole rice grain, and the dish known as Ceebu jën was born.

Jollof rice (called Ceebu jën in Senegal according to the Wolof spelling). The dish has become a source of pride and cultural identity for the Senegalese and has been recognised as an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. This certification is expected to positively impact the economy, particularly in tourism, agriculture, fishing, and catering.

In addition to its cultural significance, Jollof rice is also closely linked to a particular way of life and the consumption of the dish is strongly linked to ceremonial events and the aesthetics of presentation and service. The women of Saint Louis, a port city in northern Senegal, are known for their remarkable know-how in this area and have been credited with adding finesse and elegance to the dish.

The Senegalese version of Jollof rice, Ceebu jën, is now officially recognised by UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity, putting an end to the ongoing debate over its origins and solidifying Senegal’s claim as the true home of Jollof rice.

It will be recalled that Nigerians on Twitter lambasted the minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for his comment on which country has the best jollof rice.

However, the official recognition of Senegal as the origin of Jollof rice vindicated the Information minister.

Also, recall that in an interview with CNN’s Richard Quest, the minister was asked which country makes the best jollof rice and he responded by saying Senegal.

Quest quickly reacted by saying “I hear a shock, I hear a sigh across the country”.

On April 26, Quest tweeted “Jollof Rice. Delicious. Ghana or Nigeria? Which is best? I ain’t getting involved in the #jollofwar #richardquestinnigeria”.

The jollof rice battle has been a social media trend between Nigerians and Ghanaians but with the recent response by the minister, Nigerians have displayed a high level of displeasure on Twitter.

The British journalist in response to these reactions tried to clear the air.

He said, “To be clear. The minister misheard; he thought I asked, who first created jollof rice – hence his (correct) answer Senegal”.

Nigerians predictably had diverse opinions about the comment and quickly took to Twitter to express their opinions.

Reacting to the current recognition by UNESCO, a Nigerian, Temitope Ajayi on Twitter stated that what UNESCO did was to settle the origin of the meal, however, Nigeria still makes the best jollof in the continent.

Ajayi argued that Nigeria makes the best jollof rice in the world.

According to her, “What UNESCO did was to settle the origin of the meal, however, Nigeria still makes the best jollof in the continent. Nigeria prepares the best jollof rice globally.”

Another Twitter user, Charles Chakwud said, “What we know is that Nigerian Jollof is the best in the world.”

While Sarah Mathew posted that Ghanaians and Nigerians are fighting over something which didn’t belong to them originally, somehow. Responding to her, Mustapha Saliu said: “We are only fighting who makes it better. Even the people that invented it do not know how to make it better than Nigerian people. Jollof is literally for Nigeria and Ghana.”

He further argued that they invented it but do not know how to make it better than Nigeria.

“Who doesn’t know that Senegal and Gambia invented Jollof? Why are they even trying to do this stunt? Ghana and Nigeria are not fighting for invention but who cooks it better,” he added.

On her part, a chef, Esther Agho, said she can’t think of a more popular West African dish than jollof rice, adding that though she has tasted Senegalese jollof before but Nigerian jollof still tastes better.

Agho said Senegal, whose reputation is based more on its cultural influence and diplomacy, has every interest in capitalizing on this trend to boost its tourism sector.

She said the labeling should also have a positive impact on the economy, particularly tourism, agriculture, fishing, and catering.

Speaking further, Agho said Nigerian jollof rice is popular for a good reason, adding that it is delicious.

On why she loves jollof rice, she said there are hundreds of different dishes in the world, but there is only a handful that has enough flavour for me to eat alone.

“A bowl of jollof rice is one of those dishes. You know, the kind where you can taste the spoon or fork after you’re done with the food? I mean, you’d want to lick it clean. Jollof is deliciously addictive.

“Jollof rice is a staple in West African cuisine. It’s made from rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other seasonings. The dish is cooked in one pot. It’s simple and easy to make at home—and the end result is absolutely delicious,” she said.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with jollof rice, she said it is a rich and incredibly rich, aromatic, tasty West African one-pot meal.

She further said jollof rice has distinctive African spices, adding that it consists mainly of cooked rice and tomato stew flavored with spices such as thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, onions, and garlic.