Response Of Europeans, Other Nationals To Nigerian Jollof Rice “Overwhelming”, Says Food Vendor

Mrs Vera Onche, a food vendor, who lives in Bern, says the response of Europeans and other nationals to Nigerian foods such as jollof rice, plantain and pepper soup is “overwhelming”.

Onche, who participated during the 2018 African Cultural Festival in Bern which showcased varieties of dishes, arts and craft exhibition as well as cultural display from the continent, said Nigerian delicacies are unbeatable.

“Most of the Europeans who came to my pavilion ate the Jollof rice and bought take away because they enjoyed our food.

She said she got comments like. “This is so tasty and spicy. “This taste good!” “This smells so good.” “What spices did you put?”

Onche said that she locally sourced all the ingredients for the various dishes as it was cumbersome to export certain food into Switzerland.

While speaking on the challenges food vendors faced, she decried the high cost of running a restaurant in Bern, saying that the cost of rent alone was a major shortcoming.

Also speaking, Mr Abdullahi Isah, organiser of the African Cultural Festival in Switzerland, tasked food vendors and restaurant owners on good presentation of African cuisines.

Isah in interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that if the presentation of African dishes met international standard, it would promote food tourism.

However, Isah who was a former Chairman of the Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Switzerland, said that in the area of preservation, African food does not require much.

“Unlike other continental dishes, our food have little or no preservatives, dishes are freshly made and eaten. Therefore preservation is not a challenge”

“Although some of the ingredients cannot be locally sourced” he added.

According to him, the annual festival is aimed at bringing the African diaspora together with Swiss people to foster relations between them and to promote integration.

Similarly, others who spoke to NAN expressed gratitude to the organisers for hosting the festival saying that it would further deepen relations between Swiss people and the African diaspora.

NAN reports that Food vendors from the Nigeria diaspora had five pavilions, while other business had several stands.