Pots, Pans and my love for party Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice

I grew up in a traditional Nigerian home where all the pots and pans in the kitchen are silver. Our pots are either aluminium, stainless steel or cast iron. The cast iron cauldrons are mainly used for parties or when you want to cook in large quantity in the backyard. The cast iron cauldron is responsible for the famous taste we get when we cook party Jollof rice with firewood. Somehow I can’t seem to achieve the party Jollof rice taste in other pots except I cook it in a large cauldron over a firewood at the backyard. As I’m typing this, I am salivating….. LOL.

Enamel Cast Iron - Expensive and Fancy

How does the type of cooking pot we use affect the food we cook in them? A question I recently asked myself due to my love for party Jollof rice. Whenever I want to change my pots, price is a consideration. But I’m also influenced by the colour, or that fancy little glass lid that allows you to see inside when you are cooking. Sometimes it’s the free utensils that come with the purchase or the fact that it is non-stick and I do not have to worry about my food burning or sticking to the pot. Hardly have I really considered the material it is constructed from until recently.   

My cast iron cauldron is meant to last for my life time and later generation so replacing it is not an issue. In fact one of my cauldrons was given to me by my mother;  actually I took it from her ……smiles.  

So on this day as I was researching online I came across an article on how the material used for the cooking pot affects the food we cook and how different dishes require different cooking pots etc.  So I did further interesting research on this to educate myself and thought I should share with my readers.

Copper Pots and Pans.

I found out that each material works differently, some cookware is better for heat conduction than others. Certain metals react with acidic foods, so you wouldn't want to cook a tomato sauce in them. Other pots and pans are very durable and easy to care for.

Aluminium Pots - Low priced, light weight and durable

Copper pot reacts with acidic food but it is excellent for any type of dish where you need precision heat control. It responds well to changes in the heat intensity, so you can go from rapid boil to simmer quite quickly. Modern-day copper cookware is lined with stainless-steel for the added benefit of durability and ease of cleaning. Copper is very expensive, must be hand-washed, and needs regular polishing to maintain its gleam. No wonder it is not common.

Aluminium and anodized aluminium pots are very common in Nigeria. They are fire resistant and good conductor of heat. Spending a long length of time over fire is not an issue for aluminium. Pots will also heat faster so food preparation will finish sooner. They are certainly safe to use in the kitchen as this material does not react with acidic food. One does not have to worry that it would affect the flavour of your cooked dishes.  Aluminium is lightweight, strong, conducts heat well, and is relatively inexpensive.

Cast Iron Cauldron - No. 1 on Jollof Rice Recipe List

Cast-iron cookware (e.g. Cauldrons) has been around for hundreds of years and there are many reasons as to why it's still used even today -- the material is durable and offers great heat conductivity and retention. With proper care and use, cast-iron cookware can last nearly forever. Cast iron reacts with acidic sauces and can rust if not properly cleaned and seasoned. They are very heavy, which can be a drawback and imparts some iron onto foods (but isn't dangerous). That iron is partly responsible for the famous party Jollof rice taste and the also famous Ewa Agoyin (Local beans delicacy).

Non-stick pans are made with a specialized coating that reduces sticking. They are a popular choice, especially if you're cutting down on cooking with fat. Newer non-stick coatings are more scratch-resistant than before. They are easy to clean with the wipe of a sponge. Should not be heated to high temperatures; which means you should not use them for deep frying or our popular Ayamase (Ofada Sauce).

Stainless Steel Pots

Stainless-steel pots and pans are practically perfect: they are nonreactive (i.e., chemically stable), nonporous, virtually maintenance free, and resistant to scratches, dents, and, yep, stains. But because the metal is a poor conductor of heat, manufacturers often combine it with a better heat conductor. They may coat the bottom of a stainless-steel pan with copper, insert an aluminium or copper plate in the bottom, or make the pan out of several layers, with a good conductor right under the surface. These embellishments add to the cost of stainless-steel cookware, but, are the closest thing we have to the ideal chemically inert but thermally responsive pan.  And that is why so many professional chefs and serious home cooks swear by them.

So there you have it, my humble research about pots and pans inspired by my love for party Jollof rice. My verdict is this; while stainless steel and non-stick pots will be for my general everyday use in the kitchen, the aluminium pot will come in handy whenever I’m making fried stews and Ayamase, I doubt if I’d buy the copper set because it is expensive and requires polishing; which I do not have the patience for but my darling cast iron cauldron will always be a keeper for the party Jollof rice, ewa Agoyin and other large cooking.

I need to hear from you, how do you choose your pots/pans? most importantly if you have found a way to make party Jollof rice in the kitchen I need your recipe.

Cheers.