A Party Isn't Complete Without Jollof. LoH 254.

Ok ladies, Good evening and Happy Sunday to you all, it is the Ladies of Hive fifth anniversary and seriously if I was to bring one dish to mark this celebration, abeg there is no long talk here, see I will be bringing Nigerian Jollof rice with fried spicy chicken, like..... because what’s a party without jollof? Okay, let’s be real here, no matter the occasion in Nigeria, from birthdays to weddings to even a small backyard hangout, you will always find one thing sitting at the table , a big cooler of jollof rice.  You know the funny thing? Even as I am writing this now, I am already imagining the aroma of the jollof simmering on firewood, or gas cooker , anyone goes , the stew bubbling with that deep red tomato paste, mixed with just the right amount of pepper, thyme, curry and bay leaf, then you throw in that smoky flavor, and boom, The whole compound already knows something serious is going on. If you are Nigerian, you know what I mean. For me, Jollof rice is not just food, it is like a memory, I mean , It is the laughter of children running around with oily hands, it’s the uncles saying, “Abeg, give me extra chicken”, it is the aunties trying to monitor if the caterer gave them small portion or big portion, It is the music in the background and people dancing with plates in hand. It’s literally the one meal that unites everybody at a party. You don’t have to ask if someone will eat it, because they will definitely eat it. And then comes the chicken , fried spicy chicken and I don’t mean that “just salt and fry” type, no o, I mean well marinated, with suya spice, ginger, garlic, maggi, and enough pepper to make you reach for achilled coke, That is kind of one I will be bringing to this anniversary table, so as we are celebrating five years of the Ladies of Hive, our mouths will also be celebrating with something unforgettable too. You see, when I think of special dishes that carries weight, it is jollof rice and chicken that always comes to mind because it is a symbol of joy in my culture, no matter how tough life gets, the moment you see that cooler being opened and the spoon diving into steaming jollof, you forget your problems for a second , It always brings people together, it makes the party truly feel like a celebration. So if I was to walk into this anniversary celebration with my pot of Nigerian jollof rice and fried chicken, I already know the vibes would change, because everyone would want to have a taste, everybody would sit around, gist, laugh, share experiences, and that is what this community is all about , connection, joy, and celebration. So yeah, ladies, that will be my contribution to the anniversary table, the plate that says “we made it to five years and we are still going strong.” And see honestly, who knows, maybe by the time wea re celebrating ten years, maybe there would be other meals like adding ried plantain on the side and others, because why not? _{*[Image source](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-plate-of-rice-with-a-tomato-on-top-2MF31z_tJj8)*}