Street Eats
For the People
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Jollof Rice
For National Pride
Few dishes ignite passion more than asking someone which country makes the best jollof rice. Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau all have their signature version of the dish, but each country has the same central ingredients: rice, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers and spices. Thick and flavorful, jollof rice is a popular comfort food that can be found everywhere in Western Africa – from home kitchens to food stalls to restaurants.
HISTORY
Though widely claimed, jollof rice has a disputed history. Scholars point to different moments of trade, invention, and agriculture from as early as the 14th century to as late as the 19th century as they seek the origins of
A woman serving Jollof Rice during Jollof Food festival in Ghana.
Source: Fquasie - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115888675
Supporting this theory are the region’s long history of rice farming and the trade relationship between the Jolof empire and Europe. In particular, trade with Portugal is thought to have introduced several key ingredients in jollof rice, including tomatoes and peppers, to the Senegambia region. Recent scholarship by historian James C. McCann has argued that jollof rice has a stronger tie to the earlier cultural diaspora of the Mali empire’s (c. 1235 to 1670). If this is the case, jollof rice spread throughout the region due to trade rather than the expansion of empire.
It is unclear when jollof rice emerged as a popular street food in the region, but can be hypothesized that with trade and migration the
this dish. However the dish is widely believed to have originated during the Jolof, or Wolof, empire (14-19th c) in the Senegambia region.
dish spread from households to the street. Today, Ghanaian jollof rice is distinct because of its ingredients and the method of preparation. Where neighboring countries draw out the smokiness of the dish, Ghanaian jollof rice emphasizes the soft and aromatic qualities made possible by the use of basmati rice.
TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE . . .
Which countries claim a version of jollof rice?
How did you do?
Dumplings
For Health
HISTORY
No one knows quite when dumplings were invented, but historians agree that the different types of dumplings that pop up in different cultures (i.e. pierogi, ravioli, jiaozi) were all created simultaneously rather than stemming from a single invention. Currently, one of the most accepted theories is that dumplings were created by a Chinese physician named Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD). The legend says that Zhang Zhongjing combined mutton, herbs, and chilis in dough to help the Chinese people stay warm and avoid frostbite through the winter.
“Lovely and pleasing …
Rich flavors are blended within;
A plump aspect appears without.”
–Shu Xi, “Rhapsody on Bing”
Among the significant food innovations is the ability to store, transport and preserve food in the form of dumplings. Chinese dumplings are fluffy, tender, and moist, and they quickly disappear in 2-3 bites. Traditional dumplings vary in filling from pork to a medley of vegetables and are typically served with an umami- or sweet-tasting sauce.
With the help of nomadic Turkic people, dumplings quickly spread throughout Central Asia and western China. Wheat was hard to grow outside of northern China, so the dumpling wrappers were made from rice, tapioca or sweet potatoes. Today, dumplings can be found in restaurants throughout China and in Chinese restaurants abroad. Homemade dumplings are particularly popular during the Lunar New Year when dumplings and the filling take on special significance.
Since it is possible to forage or hunt the ingredients, many scholars believe that dumplings have been around since prehistoric times and that by studying the history of dumplings we can learn the history of humanity.
Our favorite tradition?
It is said that the more dumplings you eat during Lunar New Year celebrations, the more money you will make in the New Year.
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Batbout
For Gathering
Also known as mkhamer, toghrift, and matlou, Moroccan batbout is a soft pillowy bread known for its characteristic hole in the middle. Batbout can be stuffed with grilled meat for filling on-the-go meals, or for breakfasts, the soft flatbread may be drizzled with a sweet topping, like honey or jam. Today this flatbread is found in open air markets sold by street vendors.
HISTORY
Prior to the 1980s, it was most common for batbout to be made by each household and baked in communal ovens called frans. Because so many breads were being baked at the same time in these community ovens, a small stamp might be applied to your bread to ensure that you would recognize it upon its removal from the oven. It would be a common sight to observe children with a gssa (which is a small red pan filled with yeast) balanced on their heads walking to the frans.
Since in the 1980s, more households have all of the adults working full time and it has become less common to see people at the frans. Now you will much more likely see professional bakeries packed into the souks (which are the shopping streets found in the modina or the walled old town-centers).
The Grains of Civilization
Archaeologists believe that flatbreads radiated out of the region now referred to as the Fertile Crescent because of extensive evidence of grain cultivation. However, there’s some debate about whether all of the early grains were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region, as there is plenty of evidence to de-center the Fertile Crescent as the “breadbox” of the world.
Regardless of where wild grains were first cultivated, it is believed that the preparation of flatbread can be tracked with the spread of the cereal grains.
Types of Flatbreads
Flatbreads are one type of food that can be found around the world – from crepes to dosai, tortillas to injera, or pancakes to pita. Painstakingly divided by their key characteristics, flatbreads fall into one of the following categories:
Pancake-like
Made of a runny batter that is often fermented. Popular flatbreads in the category include crepes, dosai, and injera.
Which other flatbreads might be described as pancake-like?
What type of flatbread is batbout?
What type of flatbread is batbout?
Double layer leavened!
TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE . . .