It is time for the great jollof-off!
Chefs at the New York City African Food Festival this weekend will determine — once and for all — which country makes the best version of jollof, a spicy tomato-based rice meal that originates in West Africa. The founder of the festival, which takes place in the Brooklyn Navy on Aug. 13–14, hopes that the showdown will bring together partisan fans of the hotly-debated dish with many regional variations.
“The idea is, as much as it is a sensitive topic — it’s a fun thing,” said Ishmael Osekre, who organized the festival. “There’s a huge rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana — and throw in Senegal and the Ivory Coast — on who makes the best jollof. It’s personal for some people, but for us it’s really all fun and games.”
The contest, at 2 pm on Aug. 14, will be judged by professional chefs, but the contestants are amateurs, chosen to represent their home countries through the festival’s Facebook page. In order to encourage entries from home cooks, the dishes will be graded based on flavor, not on creating towers or food or artful smears of spices, said Osekre.
“Chefs will be looking for taste, not presentation,” he said. “For us it’s about who makes the best food. We want people to have an authentic experience.”
The cook-off is part of a two-day weekend festival designed to introduce Brooklynites to the vast range of the continent’s cuisine. The first day will feature cooking demonstrations from popular African chefs Pierre Thiam and Grace Odogbili, who both run catering companies in Brooklyn. The chefs will show visitors how to make popular African dishes, including a variety of vegan options. On Sunday, Senegalese chef Marie-Claude Mendy and South African cook Coco Reinharz will demonstrate their cooking techniques.
Guests can also buy food from about 20 African food vendors, including Brooklyn restaurants Buka, Madiba, Ghenet Brooklyn, Awash, and Bunna Cafe, among others. The festival will also include some non-culinary examples of African culture, including fashion sales, DJs spinning music, and a hookah tent.
Osekre wants the festival to challenge common perceptions about African food, and to introduce people to a cuisine that is becoming increasingly common in Brooklyn. African dishes include such a variety that even picky eaters will find something to dig into, he said.
“I want to bring people together for a quality African food experience in a short period of time,” said Osekre. “It’s going to be a good time — people are going to discover to things they didn’t know existed or heard of. This is really a showcase of our culture, our people, and our food. No one will be left out.”
“New York City African Food Festival” at Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn Navy Yard [Building 268, 63 Flushing Ave. at Carlton Avenue in Fort Greene, (646) 638–7000, www.nycaf
