Only a personal experience can deliver the appropriate verdict, which confirms an essential need for the Meiza Flavour Fiesta (MFF) community to get into their YouTube from where they will literally get all the scoops. Heading there is because it is the second edition of the fiesta this Christmas holiday and 12 chefs have made it as the finalists. They have prepared the national jollof rice delicacy that appeals to a uniformity of people and an audience gets to decide if they are Nigerian enough.

And voting has actually started. The MFF2.O journey kicked off 18 days ago on 2 December 2024, and there will be the announcement of three top winners on Boxing Day.

Commencing the competition on the day President Bola Tinubu was to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa, it was the entrepreneurial spirit back in West Africa that MFF2.0 thirsted to project to a family audience. Uncles, mums, cousins, future grooms and their brides; even granddads seem to all want the flavour.

ALSO READ: Picture the burnt aroma of firewood jollof rice as 43 Meiza flavour fiesta chefs hit these cities for sweet ingredients

It is thought that firewood jollof rice offers absolutely a combination of allure, the aroma of an enticingly burnt grain, which then meets with perfectly enriched protein in any form, mostly fried, to complete the match. So, maybe watching one of the clips of the contestants in the act one at a time if not once in a go on Meiza’s YouTube channel will help a decision come quicker.

But that is not just about it, there is a deeper messaging attached to the fiesta. Seeing Nigeria trying to overturn its manufacturing hurdles to allow for local content, should the attention then ought to be on a dozen chefs? It is because Meiza Flavour Fiesta 2.0 is what we are actually talking about, that’s why everyone certainly has to jump on this since it’s lifestyle.

How laid back can a fiesta truly get during a month of holidaying? The 12 chefs picked from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones want to show how; and that cooking can also be instructive. They are all women and rose up as the best entries when MFF2.0 organisers asked them to send in clips that match the contest’s criteria of buying local.

While at it, they are showcasing homegrown brands and their products as their cooking climaxes up to the moment we all love. It is the time when the waiting is obviously over – at the dining table where excitement is being delivered by spice and veggies as they meet with the tongue.

Fulfilment coming through food makes the catchy theme of rebirth that usually starts to manifest straight after Christmas even more significant. It is the season when the heart is calm and the soul warm.

Anyone is open to be part of this experience and it can happen only by a couple of scrolls and app exits on your smart device just to get to YouTube. You should make sure your navigation leads you here to Meiza’s YouTube channel in particular.

When there on the channel, the visitor will see the videos page and homepage that shows a brief explainer of what the Meiza platform is all about. They will see revealed, as the titles of the various clips, the names of 12 jollof rice chefs that are taking part and the cooking ingredients they used.

Then, there will be the verdict. How many votes, likes, reshares and comments a contestant gathers from the Meiza Flavour Fiesta community determines their chance of winning the ₦200,000 grand cash prize.

But there is an emphasis on the better visible likes for their videos coming in if we are being honest. It shows the organisers exactly what the community sees and thinks. Through their likes, they love a particular chef’s commitment to local content and they want her to get the cash. What is a better reward for patronage?

Voters with their thumbs raised are ambassadors themselves. They are participants telling the presenters just how good they are at showcasing Nigerian FMCG brands.

It is a resounding tale that is being told here; the message of passion and helping to groom that the lifestyle and family-focused Meiza Nigeria wants to deliver to viewers and readers hanging in there year-long, but now the 2024 drapes are about to close. It isn’t without the winners’ announcement in six days.

Meiza Nigeria