Ofada rice

Ofada rice is a Yoruba Nigerian dish. It is the name of an indigenous rice from a small community called Ofada, located in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. It is not exclusively grown in the community, but it is an indigenous rice grown in southwest Nigeria which is named after the Ofada community. It is used in making a variety of dishes. Ofada rice are mostly blends, and some of the rice varieties in the blends are not indigenous to Africa; however, they usually also contain African rice. It is grown almost exclusively in Ogun State, a state in southwestern Nigeria. Ofada rice is grown on free-draining soil where the water table is permanently below the root of the plant.

Ofada rice are mostly blends, and usually contain Oryza glaberrima (African rice) as well as the more common Oryza sativa Asian rice, and may be categorized as either brown/red Ofada or white Ofada on the basis of unmilled seed colour. Grain size, shape, and shade vary. As African rice is more difficult to mill and polish, some or all of the rice bran is left on the grain, which strengthens the flavour and increases the nutritional value. Brown ofada rice is often very highly aromatic, whereas white ofada rice is typically non-aromatic. In contemporary times, it is sometimes served at classy parties. It is also sold as street food by vendors, often pre wrapped up in Ewe Eran leaf, then served with the special Ayamashe sauce or Ofada stew with egg, beef, ponmo, chicken and or fish.

One of the major types of rice grown in Nigeria is called Ofada rice. This variety got its name from the fact that it was grown and processed in the South-West Nigerian villages of Ofada and other rice-producing villages. The crop was first grown in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and introduced through missionary activities between the 1850s and 1970s. From there, it was spread to the Lagos region in Epe and Okitipupa; from there, it was moved to Ogoja and Abakaliki provinces after the Second World War; and finally, it was spread across the Sahara and to northern Nigeria via the Trans-Saharan trade. The unique taste and aroma of the variety makes it more popular than other local varieties with distinct taste when cooked.

Ofada rice is traditionally served in an uma leaf, with a sauce of atarodo (spicy) and tatase (sweet) pepper, onion, locust beans, palm oil, and meat. It is a festive meal rather than an everyday type of food for most Nigerians but it is an everyday street food for the towns of Ikenne and Ilisan in Ogun state. It is also often served along with a vegetable stew that may contain locust beans as an ingredient. It is often served with ayamase stew or obe-ata-iru, both specially prepared for ofada rice consumption.