local flavor
GHANA JOLLOF Serving Ghanian Dishes Prepared With Love By Dominique McIndoe / Photos by Mark Gilvey
The Beginning
In 2020, the majority of the world was experiencing loss, uncertainty, and displacement during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many also found hope in new beginnings, gratitude for life, and caring for others. Afua and Kofi Mintah created the Ghana Jollof restaurant under these circumstances three years ago, and have managed to successfully build community spirit through the rich food and culture they share. “Ghana Jollof began in the middle of the Covid pandemic,” Afua said of the Woodbridge-based restaurant in Potomac Mills Mall. They also have a location in Fredericksburg’s Spotsylvania Town Centre and plan to expand to the Mall at Prince George’s in Hyattsville, Maryland. They briefly operated as a food truck in 2021. “We started with one employee and currently have nine. We’re proud of our ability to have expanded quickly to other locations since our inception.”
The Cuisine
Jollof, which is one of their most popular dishes and is the restaurant’s namesake, is a colorful West African rice dish served with meat (like fish or chicken, among others), vegetables or salads, spices and seasonings, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. This dish, packed with loads of flavor, is a staple in celebratory social gatherings in Ghana, Nigeria, and all across West Africa. “Food has always been an effective trigger of the sweet and wonderful memories of my childhood years in my mother’s kitchen,” Afua recalls. “The inspiration behind Ghana Jollof was, and remains to be, recreating this experience, and sharing
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Afua Mintah, Co-owner of Ghana Jollof.
the delightful tastes with our customers.” It was important for Afua and Kofi to reconstruct these same great experiences and memories by cooking up authentic tastes that people from every background imaginable could enjoy.
