Radio show host MC Mc Portfolio has defended Ghanaian jollof rice after American streamer IShowSpeed’s recent comments reignited the long-running Ghana–Nigeria jollof debate.
The comments come amid backlash against Pizzaman and Chickenman, which provided the jollof rice for IShowSpeed. Some social media users accused the brands of denying Chef Abbys the chance to cook for the streamer, blaming them for IShowSpeed’s preference for Nigerian jollof.
The debate has sparked renewed online conversations about taste, national pride, and whether one person’s opinion should define a country’s cuisine.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on January 27, Mc Portfolio defended the ChickenMan brand, insisting they remain among the best food names to come out of Ghana.
“PIZZAMAN & CHICKENMAN still stand tall as one of the best to have come out of Ghana,” he wrote. “We stand with ChickenMan jollof.”
He also stressed that taste is subjective and that IShowSpeed’s opinion does not determine which country makes the better jollof.
“Everybody get ein taste bud and how it responds to taste,” he wrote, adding that he enjoys Chickenman and Pizzaman Ghana’s jollof for its spiciness.
He explained that the same recipe could be disliked by someone who prefers milder food, but that doesn’t make it inferior. Reacting to criticism surrounding the incident, he noted that popular Ghanaian chef Chef Abby could have faced similar feedback if the streamer preferred a different recipe.
“Chef Abby could still have gotten the same type of feedback if Speed is a freak of a certain type recipe,” Mc Portfolio said.
The radio host firmly dismissed suggestions that Ghanaian food brands should change their recipes to please a single visitor.
“We are not going to change the taste of Chickenman that we all enjoy because one 21-year-old American streamer decides for over 30 million people what a good jollof is,” he stated.
Mc Portfolio also compared the reaction to IShowSpeed’s lukewarm response to a luxury car collection he saw during the tour, emphasizing that personal disinterest doesn’t make him the ultimate judge of quality.
“Just like how he wasn’t overly enthused about the car collection he saw, it doesn’t mean he is the validator of what a good jollof or car is,” he added.
