Dear Nigerians, Must It Be Rice and Stew Every Sunday?

Like clockwork, every Sunday after church, you’ll hear that one pot bubbling in the kitchen… and you just know, it’s rice and stew. Again.

Is it a curse? A spiritual contract? A blood oath we unknowingly signed at birth? Because honestly, at this point, it feels like rice and stew has hijacked our weekends and is holding our taste buds hostage. 

As a child, it was great at first. A Sunday staple. Beef stew. Fish stew. Chicken stew if mummy’s in a good mood. But now? It’s giving uncreative, repetitive, and bland. Is there no joy in trying something new?

What happened to Yam and fried eggs? Or sweet potatoes with pepper sauce? Or even the almighty Beans and Bread, yes, I said what I said. Don’t hiss. That combo slaps when it’s done right. Hot Agege bread, hotter ewa agonyin… abeg respect yourself.

But no. Nigerians will cook white rice and baptize it in stew like their life depends on it. And if you try to protest, they’ll say you don’t like culture. Which culture?? Even culture deserves variety once in a while!

If we keep going like this, we’ll pass it on to our children, and their children will pass it on until it becomes a family heirloom, “Here lies the pot that has cooked rice and stew for seven generations.” Is that what we want?

And if you insist on being a stubborn coconut and must eat rice, abegg, let it be Jollof Rice. At least lie to me with flavor. Make it sexy. Don’t just pour red stew on white rice and expect me to be grateful.

Let’s be creative. Let’s be bold. Let’s explore food options that don’t involve white rice swimming in stew every damn week.

Read more of this awesome story (if we do say so ourselves), oya click here

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