From jollof to fufu, there are more than a few tripwires you can stumble over when discussing West African cuisine. But if there’s one dish that unites the region — and frankly the continent — it has to be fried plantain. Sweet, crispy and effortlessly addictive, it’s the kind of side dish that regularly finds itself stealing the show. Growing up in an African household, you were lucky if even half the batch survived the trip from the stovetop to the dinner table.
It’s no surprise then to see fried plantain guest feature in singer-songwriter Riwo Egor’s favourite dish, the peppered gizzard and plantain — also known as Gizdodo — from Travelling Dishes.
“The Gizdodo specifically took me back to my childhood,” says Egor, who grew up in Nigeria before moving to Edmonton and becoming a staple in the city’s music scene, both as a solo artist and the lead vocalist of Melafrique.
“Plantain wasn’t something we would have all the time, but when my mom would get it — because my dad loves plantain — it was a huge, celebratory-type dish — one of those things that would be eaten before we even finished frying it,” she laughs.
Started in 2019, Travelling Dishes is a Nigerian delivery and catering business that grew out of the kitchen of Dupe Adedeji — or as she’s affectionately known, Aunty Dupe. The food service offers a wide selection of traditional and reimagined dishes for Nigerian and non-Nigerian palettes alike. And thanks to it being a satellite kitchen, diners like Egor can enjoy a taste of home from the comfort of home.
“A lot of people can cook and make food, but not everyone makes it in a way that hits the spot,” Egor says. “There are a few Nigerian spots in the city, but everyone I’ve introduced to Travelling Dishes, that is Nigerian or has had Nigerian food, agrees that they know what’s up.”
Travelling Dishes
587.501.2852 | travellingdishes.com
