jollof rice

noun

jol·​lof rice ˈjä-ləf- 

variants or jollof or less commonly Jollof rice

: a West African dish of rice cooked in a sauce of tomatoes and onions seasoned usually with garlic, thyme, hot pepper, and other spices and often accompanied by meat, fish, or vegetables

… jollof rice, one of West Africa's beloved dishes and a common meal across Nigeria …

—Wilfred Okiche and Eromo Egbejule

Jollof rice unites nearly all of West Africa, with perhaps Nigeria and Ghana being the two countries best known for it. It is to West Africa what jambalaya is to Louisiana: a dish that is not just food but a cultural emblem.

—Kwame Onwuachi

Jollof rice is a one-pot rice dish consisting of fried and stewed tomatoes as its flavor base. The rice is a deep red in color once finished, and can either be served as an accompaniment to other Nigerian dishes or on its own alongside some plantains.

—Nneka M. Okona

In South Carolina we make a dish … which is rice cooked with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Once, when I was in Nigeria visiting friends they offered me a dish called jollof rice and it was just like the rice we make at home.

—Edna Lewis

Here you'll find West African soups, grilled or fried fish, and Jollof rice …

—Shontel Horne

Spices, ingredients, and cooking methods slightly vary between households, but the basic elements of rice, tomatoes, and onions remain the same. However, jollof is more than its ingredients. The cooking process is intricate, the order in which you add the ingredients matters, and the person making it matters the most.

—Jiji Ugboma

For my spouse, jollof symbolizes the courage his parents had to leave the only home they ever knew in search of better opportunities in America. For me, jollof connects me to the homeland that my enslaved ancestors once knew.

—Tonya Abari

Examples of jollof rice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the jollof rice of West Africa to the sushi of Japan, rice dishes tell tales of migration, family, and resilience. —J.j. Johnson, TIME, 25 Nov. 2024

Sides like crispy okra, jollof rice, and callaloo were just as notable as the main dishes, though the star of the meal was the Mom Dukes Shrimp, served whole and bathed in a decadent Creole butter. —Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2024

Written by a trio of Londoners with family and connections across West and East Africa, Food From Across Africa is a joyful introduction to African dishes ranging from jollof rice to hibiscus tea, groundnut stew to tea bread. —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 4 July 2024

The seasonal, seven-course menu often features a Louisiana rice offering that emphasizes the similarities between New Orleans jambalaya and the Senegalese version of jollof rice. —Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024

Order the jollof rice, grilled dorada, or whole lamb and indulge in the location's famous onion sauce three ways. —Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2024

Other countries, including Sierra Leone, Senegal and Liberia, fire a few shots here and there but the jollof battle is really between these two, who in the process have made jollof rice the official dish West Africa is known for. —Emiene Wright, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024

Since then, Sambou’s has been a hit, attracting a loyal crowd of diners for dishes like oxtail soup, jollof rice, and doro wot, as well as a James Beard nomination. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024

His jollof rice, an African staple, is delicious evidence of the origin of Louisiana’s jambalaya. —Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Jollof, spelling variant of Jolof, taken as a variant of wolof.

Note: Jolof and Wolof appear to be of independent origin and associated primarily by rhyme. Jolof is more closely associated with a succession of West African states, while Wolof is primarily an ethnic and linguistic name.

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above