Food Musings: Why Nigerians Are Crazy About Rice
Editor’s note: Nigerians don’t
joke with their rice. Whether it be jollof, fried, or white – don’t mess
with a Nigerian’s plate of rice. It’s a must have at parties and to
celebrate religious holidays.Ifeyinwa Nzeka tries to explain this special relationship have with rice.
Take a moment to imagine a Nigeria without rice… Yes o! Forget about
your favorite party jollof and every other orishirishi style of rice
preparation, how would you cope? What would you replace rice with?
Growing up, eating rice was something we looked forward to. I vividly
remember what days we had rice: Tuesday dinner, Friday dinner and
Sunday lunch, with the rice on Sunday being the most special. Tuesday
and Fridays were usually rice and stew.
Many years before a lot of us were born, rice was a luxury, eaten
once in a while, but today, it has become staple in most Nigerian
households.
In recent times, I don’t believe any other crop has been subjected to
as much attention as rice; from the dazzling amount spent by Nigeria
for rice imports to the imports cabal to the fraud as it concerned the
rice import quota scheme, news which broke in 2015 and then to the quest
by the agricultural sector for Nigeria to achieve self-sufficiency in
rice production.
The Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed in 2014 that Nigeria spent
about N800billion yearly on the importation of rice. Unofficial imports
routed through Cotonou and other close West African countries corridors
were not captured in the figure projected by the bank. The governor of
Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, in 2015, said the Federal Government
spent $2.41 billion on rice importation between January 2012 and May
2015. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture also revealed at the time that
on the average, Nigeria spent N1billion daily on rice importation. It
is hoped that we will hit the self-sufficiency mark in a few short years
and be less dependent on imports which will in turn lead to employment
and economic growth.
No doubt, the rice matter is both serious business and a serious matter in Nigeria!
With the wide variety of rice delicacies in Nigeria, it isn’t
difficult to see why this commodity called rice has got us all loving
up. Here is a rundown of some rice dishes that explains why.
Jollof rice/party jollof
Whether it is party jollof rice or homemade jollof rice, you cannot
go wrong with jollof, a winner every time for whatever occasion. I think
our love for jollof rice is responsible for a large quantity of the
importation. Yes o, blame it on jollof! We can talk about jollof rice
from now till next year but we wouldn’t bore you because we know you
totally “gerrit”! We also know that you get why it is the first on the
list!
Native jollof rice
Also called palm oil rice or Iwuk Edesi by the Efiks, this native
style jollof rice made with palm oil, crayfish and dry fish and finished
with some green vegetable or herb will make you forget your name!
Coconut rice
Rice with a rich coconut flavor from being cooked with fresh coconut milk is another reason why we love rice!
Ofada rice and sauce
Ofada rice and sauce… Hmmm, that is ehn! Just give us this and our
lives are alright! We cannot do without our ofada o! One great thing
about ofada is that it is made with our locally grown rice and no other
rice will do, no other rice hits that spot.
Fried rice
Made in a variety of ways using mixed vegetables and with the
addition of seafood or meats like shrimp, liver, chicken, beef and so
on, fried rice is one rice dish that has become staple. You gotta love
the rice that has all the “mede mede” added to it!
White rice with…
Serving plain rice with buka stew or a wide range of vegetable stews
and soups from efo riro to edikang ikong and other vegetable sauces,
takes plain rice from ordinary to extraordinary when paired with these
special Nigerian stews and soups. Pass us some steaming white rice,
please.
Masa (waina)
This northern Nigerian dish is made of rice mixed into a light batter
and fried in a masa pan with minimal oil rather than deep fried like
puff puff. It is either served with a savory accompaniment like suya or
stew or drizzled with honey for a sweet dish or lovely dessert. Yum!
“Are you feeling good today, these things got us thanking God for riiiccee, we can’t explaaain…”
This is our own cover for Wiz Kid’s Ojuelegba as it concerns this rice
matter! Did we leave out any of your favorite rice recipes? Let us know
in the comments section!
Ifeyinwa Nzeka is a Cordon Bleu trained chef, hospitality
practitioner and blogger who is passionate about Nigerian food and
cuisine.
