Variety Store offers rare goods from the African continent. But why do ofada rice few in Greater Boston exist? Sola Ajao of Randolph, 58, developed a passion for her native Nigerian cuisine at an early age. Her mom taught her to make the jollof rice and egusi soup she now considers her specialties.
But when she immigrated to the United States 26 years ago, Ajao struggled to find Cameroon pepper, Ducros curry powder, and other ingredients she needed to make the foods that were staples back home. Variety Store, which opened in November in Randolph, is one of a relatively small number of grocery stores specializing in Afro-Caribbean foods in Greater Boston. It offers fresh, frozen, and packaged goods from Africa, as well as clothing, beauty products, and catering services. In building her business, Ajao is braving a vicious pandemic and related supply chain shortages. She’s also pushing back against misconceived notions of West African cuisine.
Ajao, in an interview in which she spoke partly in English and partly in Yoruba, with her daughter interpreting, said she hopes the store can appeal to people who want to explore African culture in an authentic, fun, and enjoyable way. Godwin Nnanna, president of the Nigerian American Multi-Service Association, said the number of West African markets in Boston has grown in recent years, to about a half dozen scattered across Hyde Park, Dorchester, Roslindale, and Roxbury. But few exist outside the city. He said a number of Nigerians, especially in Hyde Park and Dorchester, sell African foods out of their homes.