Roadside Buka · Smoky Party Rice

Jollof Rice

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The prized smoky flavor comes from a deliberately scorched layer at the pot's bottom called 'bottom pot' — the burnt bit is the most fought-over serving.

Jollof rice is long-grain rice slow-cooked in a base of blended tomatoes, red peppers, and onions until every grain turns deep orange-red, usually simmered over an open flame in a large blackened pot. Roadside 'buka' vendors and market stalls serve it by the scoop with fried plantain, grilled chicken, or beef piled on top.

Why it's made this way: Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal all claim the definitive version, and the rivalry is serious enough to have its own name — the 'Jollof Wars' — fought out yearly in good-natured online cook-offs.