Have you been contemplating travelling across West Africa? Do you need strong reasons to? This is all you need.

1. To be exposed to new culture.

Did you know, for instance, that in Guinea Bissau, Jollof rice is called Thieb Blanc? Or that it is not like the Nigerian Jollof rice that is deeply coloured. But it’s made with rice and tomatoes too. The missing ingredient is tomato paste which is why it’s colour is so pale. 

2. To see the nightlife in other African countries.

To borrow from Asa, “You never know until you try.”

3. To meet new people.

Business partners? Lifetime friends? The love of your life, maybe?

4. To see wonders of the African world.

Have you seen Thomas Sankara’s country? Or The Door of No Return? Have you been to the Python Temple? The Waterfall in Cote D’Ivoire? Africa is blessed, y’all. Take time to see it.

5. To understand the cash distribution across countries.

Did you know that in Sierra Leone, $1 goes for 9,800 leones? And that a hotel room costs 618,000 per night? Or that a bottle of coke costs 6,000? Ordinary coke, you say? My dear, one more reason to explore.

6. To taste the food.

Not every time eba and Semo. You need to travel to experience the culinary prowess of other countries.

7. To try out new things, really.

You can join the surfers in Robertsport and learn how to surf in Liberia. You could even learn how to pet a snake or a crocodile. Honestly, there’s more to life. Live this one you’ve been given!

Our Jollof Road team had a great time touring West Africa in 80 days. Here’s a plug to the things we saw, the places we visited, the food we ate, the people we met. In short, all the fun we had.

For everyone who likes good food that is served on time, we all have to give thanks to bukas for always having our backs. In case you’re looking for a plug into the Lagos buka scene, this is a sure place to begin. In no particular order, we present a list of Lagos bukas you should try out ASAP.

1. White House.

This is located in Yaba, close to the University of Lagos. White House is popular for a menu that contains variety, late hours and free Wi-Fi.

2. Amala Shitta.

This is the go-to place if you want amala and you’re on the mainland. It has been around for quite a while so you can be assured of its quality. The restaurant is located in Shitta, Surulere. Here is the address: 26 Rabiatu Thompson Crescent, Shitta, Surulere.

3. Yakoyo.

This is so popular that bukas are almost being referred to by default as Yakoyo. It is located at 217 Ikorodu Road, Ilupeju, Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

4. Ajisafe.

This is located at Ajisafe street, Onigbongbo, Ikeja. They are your plug for rice and stew on the mainland and their stew, from our experience, has a master’s degree. Worth trying out.

5. Iya Eba.

10 Berkeley Street, Lagos Island is where they are located. Don’t be turned away by the name. They serve a variety of meals, not just Eba alone.

6. Designer Rice.

They are located at 14 Bank Olemoh Street, Surulere. Going by their name, you can be assured of rice that is designed with taste. Serously, we’ve tried it out on VRSUS. See our video here:

7. Amala Yahoo.

This is located at Victoria Street, Mechanic Village, Ogudu-Ojota, Ogudu. And from our experience, their Amala schooled abroad.

8. Mama Ebo Pepper Rice.

This is located at 70 Taiye Olowu Street, Lekki Phase 1. Their rice and goat meat is the bomb.

9. Ghana High.

This is located at King George V, Off Awolowo Road, Lagos Island, near the Ghana High Commission. They serve the best rice and ewa agoyin in Lagos.

10. Amala Beljium.

For delicious amala around the Amuwo-Odofin area, just find Amala Beljium. They are located at Parliament Road, Jakande Estate, Mile 2, Amuwo Odofin. They will treat your taste buds right.

We know that this is not an exhaustive list, and subsequently, we will be plugging you with new bukas as we discover them. In the meantime, keep up with us as we try out new food places all over Lagos.

There’s something about being Nigerian that is so unique. That something is the food aspect. Most Nigerian families don’t follow a food timetable, but through an unspoken rule, they have fixed the food you eat on weekdays and the food you are to eat on weekends. And they are not being mean or anything, it’s just the way they see things.

1. Pap and beans.

This one is Saturday morning delicacy. And most times, it is eaten with beans. Or bread, if you people are ghetto like that. It can be yellow pap or white pap, like this:

2. Beans.

This one for times when no one has time to prepare pap. Even then, Daddy must get pap in a stainless cup. Daddy privileges, you know?

3. Rice and stew.

For Sunday afternoons after church, or Saturday night. Sometimes, plantain can be thrown into the mix. Or the entire thing can be replaced with Jollof/concotion rice.

4. Eba.

Sometimes, it can look peng like this. And sometimes ehn, to God be the glory.

5. Yam.

Yam like this. Sometimes with fried eggs, or with the beans from Saturday.

6. Moi moi / akara.

The beans is usually soaked overnight. When you wake up, it is peeled, and you go and grind it while serious house chores are being attended to at home.

Usually, they put the beans in a custard plastic for you. Something like this:

See ehn, let’s thank God for life.

Have you read this? 8 Things You’ll Learn About Management From Nigerian Households

Dodo (fried plantain) has been the reigning Nigerian king for a while now. But while dodo holds forte here, Alloco is busy kinging its way across dinner tables and meals across Africa. This post will tell you all you need to know about Alloco. It will also make you wonder if dodo is really the king we think it is.

Alloco is a popular West African snack that is made from fried plantain. It is NOT fried plantain, even though they are quite similar.

Dodo, our king.

Unlike dodo which can be served with beans, rice, fried eggs etc, Alloco is often served with chili pepper and onions.

Alloco. See how similar they are?

Alloco is a Côte d’Ivoire name. It is called Makemba in DR Congo and kelewele in Ghana. Alloco is Ivorian fried plantain, in case you need a simple way to describe it.

Dodo is an ‘accessory.’ Sometimes, it is not considered a full meal.

Dodo turning up to make the gathering complete.

But Alloco can sometimes be the main dish.

Alloco is made from the ripest plantain unlike dodo that is sometimes not. So each time you bite into Alloco, you can be sure that you will get to taste sweet plantain in your mouth.

In our Jollof Road tour, we tried out Alloco for the first time. Watch the experience here:

It’s 63 years of Ghanaian independence. The country gained their freedom in 1957. As we celebrate the Ghanaian independence day, we also celebrate some of their amazing foods.

1. Boiled eggs.

Eggs are a major staple in Ghana. Boiled eggs especially. It’s a treat. This picture shows just how much of egg lovers Ghanians are. This seller even made an Independence Day ‘monument’ to this fact.

2. Ghana Jollof.

There has been a lot of wars over this thing, but today being Ghanian Independence Day, let’s leave them to celebrate. And also stan their dedication to the Jollof craft. It’s not everyday you get to compete with the king that Nigerian Jollof is.

3. Waakye.

Waakye (which we call wanke in Nigeria) is a Ghanian meal that travelled into Nigeria to bless our taste buds. And we cannot but be grateful. Thank you to our Ghanaian brothers and sisters for giving us this delicacy.

4. Kenkey (which Nigerians refer to as Dokunu).

Growing up, I saw my father eat kenkey so much I began to wonder if he was half-Ghanaian. He called it dokunu, and I grew up calling it that name too. Thank you so much for allowing us taste this delicacy.

5. Yellow buns.

Anybody who went to secondary school in Nigeria has definitely tasted this Ghana buns. It was yellow buns to us, and the bread-like nature and the unmatched taste was a reason why we never stopped buying it. Thank you, Ghana.

Happy 63 years of independence, Ghana!

In this Jollof Road episode, we were welcomed in Ghana. We tried out Ghanaian food, met new people and saw beautiful places. We met Mr. Eazi too!

What is Jollof if it does not taste like a party Jollof? In this post, we will be taking you through a list of things to look out for when you are about to try out Jollof rice in any buka, party, restaurant, or even in your own kitchen. Enjoy!

1. It always, always has a smokey taste.

This is from the firewood smoke used to cook it. Those of you that cook jollof rice with gas cooker, na you know o.

2. Bay leaves must be marked present.

You need that flavour. I don’t know what kind of wuru wuru to the answer rice they are serving at parties these days that don’t have bay leaves to taste.

3. You can tell from the first spoon that it is rich in butter.

It’s true what they say: The taste is the difference, the difference is the taste.

4. It has a deep orange/reddish colour.

That is how you know a jollof rice that is not deprived of good tomatoes. A full-blooded jollof rice.

5. Garnished with tomato and onion slices.

This is optional sha, but if you have just one chance to show that your jollof rice is the best, why not go all out?

Are you looking for the best place to get signature party Jollof in Lagos? Our #VRSUS video plugs you to the right sources.

Ask any Nigerian to mention types of rice and they are quick to mention Jollof rice, fried rice, coconut rice. But what about the other types of rice that always have your back when you are broke? Why don’t you mention them? Oh, you are ashamed of them, right? We are judging you.

1. Concotion rice.

This rice is a saviour for times when we are broke and have nothing. With less than N200, you can cook up a storm. And the taste will bang. Nigerians need to normalise this rice and accord it the respect it deserves. Which of you can say you have not tasted concoction rice before?

2. Waakye (pronounced by Nigerians as Wanke).

This rice from Ghana (or Togolese people) is a whole package. Especially the black stew they add to it when they sell it with spaghetti, fried fish, and plantain. How come we are not serving it at parties yet?

3. Ofada rice.

What is all this ofada slander I keep hearing? Ofada rice is a king and a king is what it will remain. Yes it smells, and so? Does it keep smelling when it’s done? You people don’t have good taste and it shows.

4. Palm oil rice.

This is low budget concoction rice. You know, when you’re so broke you can’t even afford money to buy concoction ingredients so you add palm oil to the water and ata gungun. It slaps. And I know that a lot of you enjoy it in secret when the wig and waist trainer is off.

5. White rice.

So because there is Jollof rice, you people have chosen to disrespect white rice, innit? Ungrateful lots, that’s what you are. You better apologise to white rice for the disrespect. Otherwise eh.

Are you in Lagos and you need where to get the best rice and stew? Look no further. This VRSUS video plugs you to the best buka in Lasgdi.

You need a bit of street credibility to survive this Nigeria. And part of that street credibility includes being able to finesse your ways into parties you’re uninvited to. Who knows, you might gatecrash Temi Otedola’s wedding, catch Daddy Otedola’s eye and become Temi Otedola’s step mother. This is Nigeria, anything can happen.

1. Own an outfit made from white lace.

This is necessary. When you step up the event venue in your white lace, your make-up on fleek, your skin popping, they will be too mesmerized to ask you for your your IV.

2. If they ask you for your IV, pull a Funke Akindele on them.

You see that face? Interpret it to mean anything: “Pride”, “Do I look like I’m uninvited?”, “Does this one even know who I am?”, “Excuse me?” — interpret it to your taste. Just make sure they don’t slap your face sha. The goal is to allow you in, not bash you. Besides, if your white lace is classy enough, they will overlook it.

3. Sit in a reasonable place.

This is the drill: don’t sit where food and souvenir will pass you. Also, don’t sit where someone will recognise you and ask where your IV is. Most times, these owambe in halls are the wahala. Those open air owambes are usually free for all.

4. Dance moderately.

Basically, no go dey do pass yourself.

5. Remember to collect souvenir, plis dear.

You need proof to show your unborn children that you, their parent, was a die-hard mogbomoya (I heard, I branch) in your prime. Who knows, they might be inspired to follow your example. You have sown good seeds, haven’t you?

Sure, we all argue about Nigeria Jollof vs. Ghana Jollof. We can cook Jollof rice in all ways imaginable. We serve it at parties and crave for it often. But then, how well do we know this delicacy we stan so much? Let’s plug you with some mind-blowing things.

1. According to historians, Jollof’s origin can be traced to the Senegambian region that was ruled by the Jolof Empire (also known as Wolof or Wollof empire). Because of the frequent cultural exchange that goes on in thsi region, Jollof has travelled to different countries, and because of this, it has evolved into several regional varieties, all of which carry the heritage of the place where it is prepared.

2. The Wolof people refer to Jollof as ‘one pot.’

3. In French language, Jollof rice is called Benachin or riz au gras.

4. Apparently, Jollof is regarded as an evening meal.

5. Originally, Jollof meant to be a fish-based recipe. But now, its normal to see it cooked with various kinds of “animals” including chicken, beef, etc.

This Liberian Has Proof That Liberian Jollof Rice Is The Best; Better Than Nigeria’s