“Add more jollof rice, please”
Between garri and rice, it’s still not clear which has higher swelling power.
That said, rice represents different things for people. For some, it’s the traditional Sunday meal. For some, it is used to celebrate Christmas and other occasions. In fact, your party is not a ‘confam’ party without Jollof, you know.
Even though Nigerians claim they are tired of it being their staple food, it’s still topping the food chart of many households. Come and scoop different types of rice.
- Jollof Rice
Name another dish that is sweeter than jollof rice, I’ll wait. There have even been suggestions that it is sweeter than love.
Jollof rice is the star of every occasion. It is served on Sundays, at birthdays, weddings, and so on. While there have been imitations, we would like to state that party or firewood jollof rice is the standard.
Side note, if you don’t like jollof rice, I don’t know what to say to you.
- Concoction Rice
Concoction rice, also known as condition rice, is the food representation of “broke, yet maintaining beauty.”
Ask around, students will testify about how concoction has saved the day when little funds were available. It is the pirated copy of Jollof rice with fast cooking time and fewer shenanigans.
Now, condition rice also has levels. If you don’t have leftover stew to use as your base, you can use ground pepper (tomato paste, optional). You can add sliced pawpaw, boiled egg, or nothing as a topping.
- Rice and Beans
First of all, we are not referring to rice and beans boiled separately.
Rice and beans boiled together have a premium taste. You have to boil the beans first before adding the rice, else, it will be a mess. In Ghana, it is known as Waakye.
The magic of this dish is in the sauce. For a goated combo, add fried fish stew with ponmo and boiled egg that has soaked up the flavour of the stew.
- White Rice
While haters will accuse white rice of being basic, it reigns supreme. It is that stress-free meal that can go with any stew you have in mind. I mean, some cultists eat it with draw soup.
Clearly, the sky is the starting point for this dish. All you need to make white rice is boiled water, salt and vibes.
Posh people like to spice the white colour with diced carrot and spring onions. Variety is after all, the spice of life.
- Fried Rice
If an attention whore was ever a meal, it would be fried rice. And if you don’t give it the attention it craves, it will go green with envy and spoil 🙂.
Fried rice is best enjoyed when it’s non-sticky. The trick to ensure it comes out that way is to parboil your rice and then, stir fry it with your green pepper, green beans, carrot and sweet corn.
- Ofada Rice
Ofada rice is the food of the elite. It is an underrated premium rice dish that comes with lots of nutrients and a special sauce named after it. It is mostly consumed by people who are intentional about their health.
Ofada rice has a unique scent and needs to be completely stoneless, dirt-free and wrapped in moin-moin leaves to be fully appreciated. The Ofada sauce usually contains locust beans, egg, and assorted meat.
- Coconut Rice
Coconut rice comes in different flavours. It’s a surprise upgrade of jollof, fried or white rice people rarely consider. Yes, you can make the coconut version of those three. All you have to do is swap the normal water you would add in the cooking process with coconut milk.
We especially recommend serving your coconut white rice with chicken, stewed mackerel, and dodo.
- Native Rice
Native Rice is the delicious, mouth-watering nutritious, and protein-loaded upgrade of concoction rice.
It is made with palm oil, ponmo, veggies, peppered snail, seafood, locust beans (optional), and any meat of your choice.
#TraditionalValues is a segment documenting the beauty of indigenous culture. This edition highlights the different rice dishes that have become an essential part of the menu for all occasions.
