The first Jollof Festival was held in DUMBO Sunday, inviting attendees to compete in a friendly cooking competition to see who can make the best version of one of West Africa’s most beloved dishes.

Organizers say the event provided attendees and participants the chance to learn more about the jollof dish, culture and enjoy some great food.

Jollof is a West African rice dish that many make on a massive scale. Many say it can be cheap and easy to cook up, but difficult to perfect.

"The thing about joloff is that it’s a basic dish, it's just rice,” said organizer Leslie Tita. “What matters is what you put in it - some people put fish, some people use special spices.” He went on to say that many of the spices individuals use speak to their heritage and result in each country having its own jollof tendencies and flavor preferences.

The vendors in attendance represented eight different countries, and in addition to the jollof showcase, there was also African art, clothing and jewelry for sale.