 Jollof rice with stew and garnish | |
| Alternative names | Benachin, riz au gras, ceebu jën, zaamè |
|---|---|
| Type | Rice dish |
| Course | Main course |
| Region or state | West Africa[1][2] |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onions, chili peppers, cooking oil |
| Ingredients generally used | Herbs, spices, aromatics |
| Variations | Various meat and seafood versions |
Jollof (/dʒəˈlɒf/), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions. The dish's origins are traced to Senegal.[3]
Regional variations are a source of competition among the countries of West Africa, and in particular between Nigeria and Ghana, over whose version is the best; in the 2010s this developed into a friendly rivalry known as the "Jollof Wars".
In French-speaking West Africa, a variation of the dish is known as riz au gras. The Senegalese version, thieboudienne, has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage dish.