The Gambia has beaten Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone hands down to become the champion of jollof rice.
The victory was at the West Africa’s biggest annual culinary festival: WAFFEST 2025, in Ghana’s capital, Accra, which came alive with flavour.
This year’s fete gathered chefs from across West Africa and beyond for various culinary competitions from the 22nd to the 27th of September.
But it was jollof rice that commanded the spotlight. It is a beloved West African one-pot dish made with rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices, often served with meat or fish.
The victory was at the West Africa’s biggest annual culinary festival: WAFFEST 2025, in Ghana’s capital, Accra, which came alive with flavour.
This year’s fete gathered chefs from across West Africa and beyond for various culinary competitions from the 22nd to the 27th of September.
But it was jollof rice that commanded the spotlight. It is a beloved West African one-pot dish made with rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices, often served with meat or fish.
Gambian chefs Haddy Nyang and Momodou Alpha Jallow won gold medals, serving up a dish that convinced the judges that their culinary skills in Jollof rice were the best, beating their rivals from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in the so-called ‘’jollof war’’.
At the 2019 WAFFEST, Gambia won Best Chef and Best Dessert in Accra, and in 2023 they took home the Jollof crown in Lagos.
Credit - TRT Afrika
At the 2019 WAFFEST, Gambia won Best Chef and Best Dessert in Accra, and in 2023 they took home the Jollof crown in Lagos.
Credit - TRT Afrika
