Jollof Haiku #1
Birthdays and Weddings
Birthdays and Weddings
Celebrations and Goodbyes
Jollof, you were there.
Home. Every culture has a handful of culinary delights that evoke the most palpable, romantic images of home. Home-cooking is sacred. The term is uttered with a smile that's capsulized the experience of warmth, comfort and safety. It's in this place where we consumed during our highest of highs, lowest of lows, and on on our most average of days. Just the hint of fried onions, plantain, or tomatoes and chilis takes me to those largely communal spaces filled with laughter and tears, but ultimately support.
In college, I took an anthropology course on "Food & Culture." My final paper? A piece titled "Food & Sex." The research unearthed the similarities with how both are consumed, primally and to satisfy a need. No longer life imitating art imitating life. Rather, food begets sex begets food and so on. Fortunately, globalism allows us all to have a nuanced palette! ;)
To accompany life's momentous events and rites of passage, we now have an expansive menu of solid requirements. For Nigerians (and those in the diaspora), that will always be Jollof Rice. Diaspora be damned, if you're having an event, somber or celebratory, if there's no jollof, you will be shamed. Publicly and privately. Nigerians don't do "nice-eties. They ... educate, ruthlessly with the sliver of the tongue leaving a mark so painful, you shan't make the same mistake - the lack of jollof rice - twice. Whether it's at a wedding of a cousin, of an uncle, who's brother is getting married, or I'm in London and the cafe down the street has take-away jollof, I'm getting my culinary jollies on, okay?! So while this simple haiku does have... "intense bits" ultimately, it's an acknowledgement of the love I have for home and a "happy place." #JollofIsBae.
To accompany life's momentous events and rites of passage, we now have an expansive menu of solid requirements. For Nigerians (and those in the diaspora), that will always be Jollof Rice. Diaspora be damned, if you're having an event, somber or celebratory, if there's no jollof, you will be shamed. Publicly and privately. Nigerians don't do "nice-eties. They ... educate, ruthlessly with the sliver of the tongue leaving a mark so painful, you shan't make the same mistake - the lack of jollof rice - twice. Whether it's at a wedding of a cousin, of an uncle, who's brother is getting married, or I'm in London and the cafe down the street has take-away jollof, I'm getting my culinary jollies on, okay?! So while this simple haiku does have... "intense bits" ultimately, it's an acknowledgement of the love I have for home and a "happy place." #JollofIsBae.