Google on Friday, November 4, 2022 spotlights Doodle of jollof rice, the ‘king of rice’ and a common West African meal whose roots date back seven centuries that has sparked culinary rivalries among neighboring countries.
Jollof rice is a combination of long-grained rice simmered with sliced or ground pepper, tomatoes, onions and local spices. It is often served with fish, chicken, beef, or goat meat stock. It is a meal priced much at festivities although it is also enjoyed at other times of the day.
Today’s animated Doodle shows the popular one-pot meal being prepared, one ingredient at a time, along with the desired meat.
The savoury dish’s name and origins stretch back to the 14th century, when the Jollof Empire ruled parts of modern-day Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. In Gambia and Senagal it is commonly called benachin.
Each West African nation has its own modified version of the dish –each country vying to take prominence for the best-made jollof in a friendly rivalry among nations known as the Jollof Wars.
The competition is particularly sticky and steamy between Nigerians and Ghanaians, which have distinct cooking styles, creating an artistic marvel that’s spawned many viral music videos, cook-offs, cuisine battles, and music.
In 2017, Google cooked up a slideshow to honour the rice noodle. In 2019, it created an animated Doodle featuring falafel. And in 2021, Google celebrated pho, the aromatic and mouth-watering soup popularised in Vietnam.
