As I write this, I have just finished scraping the burnt Jollof rice from the bottom of the pot. First, I now understand what they mean when they say you ain’t had good Jollof if it ain’t burnt on the bottom. OMG?!?!!! That unique Smokey flavor is AHHH-mazing!!

Ok, now on to the point of this post. As I’m sitting in Louisiana eating Ghanaian Jollof rice instead of Jambalaya, I began to reflect on the unifying nature of rice dishes…particularly chicken and rice.

Every where I’ve traveled I have been able to find some variation of chicken and rice. As there is such joy in breaking bread together, this thought reminded me of how various cultures have so much more in common that the differences that are highlighted. It’s amazing how different spices can transform the same chicken and rice into completely different meals.

I grew up in the American South so fried chicken and rice and gravy with dinner rolls is one example of dinner time. Indian food is one of my favorites and the tandoori oven makes some delectable meats like tandoori chicken. I love to pair that with vegetable (or chicken) biriyani rice. Oh and Chinese food leads me to vegetable (or chicken) fried rice and orange or sweet and sour chicken. At Japanese restaurants I usually opt for hibachi chicken with fried rice. I can’t forget one of my favorite foods: Ethiopian. I typically get vegan food because the collard greens and lentils are delicious, but the classic/famous Doro Wot (spicy chicken stew) is a go-to when I want some meat. I enjoy injera flatbread but a side of rice works too. I could go on and on, but this paragraph is making me hungry…

So don’t you see the power in chicken and rice or at least a way for various cultures to come together to share a common love for chicken and rice!

Stassi