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World Jollof Rice Day
One pot, a dozen countries, and one long-running, entirely good-natured argument about who does it best.
About the day
One pot, one date, one running joke
World Jollof Rice Day falls every 22nd of August. It started life in 2015 as a lighthearted social-media campaign born out of the friendly rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana over whose Jollof rice is best, and has since grown into an annual celebration marked by home cooks, restaurants and diaspora communities across the world.
The day isn't really about picking a winner. It's a chance to celebrate a dish that ties together more than a dozen West African nations, each with their own name, their own technique, and their own utterly convinced opinion about how it's properly done.
Read on for the full history of Jollof rice, the story behind the Jollof Wars, and a shortlist of recipes and videos worth cooking your way through this August 22nd.
Same family, three arguments
What actually differs, pot by pot
Every version is built on rice and a tomato-pepper base. The argument lives in the details.
Ghana
Where technique is the point
Nigeria
Where it's loudest
Senegal
Where it began
The Jollof Wars
Both camps are certain they've won
We'll let you form your own opinion.
Get cooking
Watch first, then cook
Ghana