The Gambia has beaten Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone hands down to become the champion of jollof rice.
This is a huge win for the Gambians as few dishes spark as much excitement in West Africa as jollof rice. It is a big deal of a dish.
The Gambian 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’’.
The Gambia team, led by Chef Musa Darboe and backed by the Gambia Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, also bagged medals in other categories.
These victories add to The Gambia’s growing WAFFEST legacy. In 2019, they won Best Chef and Best Dessert in Accra. And in 2023, they took home the Jollof crown in Lagos.
The festival was initiated in 2018 by Ghanaian super Chef Isaac Sackey through the Chefs Association of Ghana.
The latest win by The Gambia comes just weeks after Nigerian celebrity chef Hilda Baci set a world record for the largest jollof rice pot.
Historians say jollof rice originated from the Wolof people of Senegal, spreading to several countries.
The recipe varies across countries, sparking friendly debates about the “best” version.
Even with recent competitions and awards, these debates are unlikely to come to a definitive conclusion soon.