Food, family and fun: The story of
The Best Jollof Rice Ever!
By Onyinye Iwu
What do X (Twitter) debates and children’s mud kitchens have in common? They both inspired my children’s book about jollof rice.
If you’ve ever stumbled upon the #JollofWars online, you’ll know that some West African countries, most famously Nigeria and Ghana, hold fiercely proud and good-natured rivalries over who makes the best jollof.
It’s a conversation bubbling with national pride, family recipes, spicy banter and mouth-watering nostalgia.
I wanted to take this fun, spirited debate and reimagine it in a way that children could enjoy and learn from. What would a jollof rivalry look like through the eyes of two boys? What could it teach us about community, identity, and food as a bridge, not a barrier? That’s how The Best Jollof Rice Ever! was born.
Two families, two recipes, one shared table
In the book, readers meet two boys, Kwame and Kamsi, who come from Ghanaian and Nigerian families. Their homes are full of flavour and love, and their kitchens overflow with the sights and smells of their cultural traditions.
Kwame lives with his mum and grandad, who prepare their Ghanaian version of jollof. Kamsi’s Nigerian household includes his mum, dad and younger brother, all fiercely proud of their own spicy, pepper-rich take on the dish.
Each family brings its own flair to jollof: different ingredients, unique accompaniments, even the occasions on which jollof is served. In Kwame’s house, it might be eaten at breakfast with plantains; in Kamsi’s, it’s the heart of every party. And yet, at the centre of it all, is one shared truth: jollof is more than food — it’s culture, memory and connection on a plate.
But this isn’t just a story about cooking, it’s also about play, a food fight with a twist. The boys don’t just watch their mums stir and season; they take matters into their own hands.
In a hilariously messy twist, they head to their mud kitchen and vegetable patch to create their own ‘jollof’, adding not just tomatoes and peppers, but worms, snails and whatever else they can find!
As tricks are played, their rivalry escalates into an unappetising mess and the Jollof is ruined. With the help of their mums, the boys learn that competition and practical jokes don't taste as good as collaboration. They realise that working together, just like their families do, leads to something far more delicious!
Why jollof?
As a Nigerian mother and writer, food is woven into the fabric of my life. Jollof rice, especially, is the dish that shows up everywhere, from weddings to birthdays to Sunday dinners. When my son declared it his favourite food, it reminded me just how central it is to our culture. It’s a dish that brings people together across generations, communities and countries.
At university, we all shared our respective families’ food recipes with each other, having huge cookouts with students from completely different backgrounds. When people moved into our neighbourhood, we would cook dishes to welcome them to the area. Each time, food opened a door. It invited connection.
I wanted this picture book to celebrate that same spirit.
Representation at the table
When I was growing up, I often felt ashamed of my culture. The food I ate at home was different to anyone else’s. My surname was constantly mispronounced. The books I read never reflected my experiences. All this made me wish that I was someone other than myself, and I wanted to erase my identity and blend in. That’s one of the reasons I started writing: to create books that instil pride in children from African and diasporic backgrounds, books I would have loved to consume at that age.
In The Best Jollof Rice Ever, you’ll find a story of two Black boys, both with African names, navigating the world through food, family and fun. Their differences aren’t erased; they’re celebrated. But most importantly, their friendship reminds readers that unity doesn’t mean sameness. It means respect, curiosity and the magic of blending flavours, just like in a good pot of jollof.
What I hope children (and parents) take away from reading the book
Yes, this is a book about food. But more than that, it’s a book about togetherness.
I hope children laugh at the muddy mischief. I hope parents recognise the joy — and occasional chaos — of letting kids help in the kitchen. And I hope everyone, no matter their background, sees the beauty in cultures coming together.
Jollof may be a source of friendly rivalry online, but around the dinner table, and in this book, it’s a recipe for connection, community and understanding.
So next time you’re cooking with your child, talking about where your food comes from, or sharing a dish with someone new, I hope you remember: the best jollof isn’t about who made it. It’s about who you share it with.
Onyinye Iwu is of Nigerian parentage. She was born in Italy and moved to Britain as a teenager. A secondary school teacher, she has a degree in architecture and a master’s in cultural diaspora ethnicity. She is the illustrator of Sala, Mountain Warrior by Wakanyi Hoffman, and of the Too Small Tola books by Atinuke. She lives in London.