Graphics: Nigeria's love affair with rice

"There's rice at home."

It's no exaggeration to say that regardless of age, region or class, rice is Nigeria's number one staple food item. This got us thinking in the newsroom, and we decided to do some Google search analysis and found some interesting trends. 

Jollof rice vs fried rice

If you go by the rice wars on Twitter, jollof rice seems to be in the lead. However, Google search trends tell a different story. 

The chart below shows fried rice has stayed ahead of jollof rice over the last five years, suggesting that fried rice is in the lead. But this doesn't necessarily mean Nigerians prefer fried rice. The most likely explanation is that more people rely on the internet to make fried rice due to its more complicated recipe. 

Another interesting trend is the peak every Christmas. Both dishes, especially fried rice, reach their maximum interest levels in December. No awards for guessing