The name 'riz gras' comes from the fact that the rice is cooked in a richly flavoured sauce rather than in plain water. Tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and onions form the base, and cooks add spices like garlic, black pepper and a little chilli. The rice cooks slowly, soaking up all those flavours until every grain is packed with taste.
Riz gras is a communal dish — it is usually made in a large pot and served to everyone gathered around the table. In Burkina Faso, sharing meals is an important part of daily life. Families and friends sit together, often eating from one large shared bowl or platter, which brings people closer together.
The dish can be made with or without meat. When meat is included — often chicken, beef or fish — it is usually cooked in the sauce first, and then the rice is added so it absorbs all the meaty flavour. Vegetables like carrots, courgettes or green beans are often tucked in alongside the rice as it cooks.
Riz gras is eaten across West Africa in many different variations. In Senegal, a similar dish is called thiéboudienne; in Nigeria and Ghana it is called jollof rice. Each country has its own version, with slightly different spices and ingredients, and there is a friendly ongoing debate about which country's version is the most delicious.