This incredible achievement comes in honour of Jollof Rice, a divinely loved platter whose origins can be traced back to the Senegambia region that was ruled by the Jolof, or as we know it today, the Wolof Empire in the 14th century, crawling across parts of today’s Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania where rice is religiously grown.
The West Africa Food Festival being a competition that has been running for over five years, usually housing about 16 countries per edition, runs primarily on celebrating the flavours, sounds, and sights of West Africa, bringing together people from all corners of the geographic region through their diverse traditional cuisines.
The Gambia back in the 2019 event also emerged victors winning the best chef and best dessert awards. The then team led by Chef Saikou Bojang and Chef Musa Darboe was welcomed home by the Minister for Tourism and Culture in a show of gratitude. Such a moment still ringing with pride four years later will now stand side by side with this beautiful accomplishment of The Gambia bagging a win in both the Jollof and Vegan categories.
Chef Aloycious, a contestant from Liberia, in a social media post expressed his despondence in losing to Gambia in a humble bout of words and shared that “it was a great experience with a great team of chefs.” As applauds dance towards all the countries that participated, deep, appreciative congratulations are ferried to the great team of chefs who put in their best work and honoured The Gambia with an incredible achievement.
