Our Story
M&AK's Kitchen began with a craving for home.
After moving from Lagos, Nigeria, to the United States, Abdulkamal ("AK") Abdullahi often found himself missing the flavors he grew up with, especially jollof rice, one of West Africa's most beloved dishes.
Making jollof from scratch is a labor of love. It can take hours of chopping, roasting, blending, and simmering before the rice ever touches the pot. During the pandemic, AK set out to recreate the jollof rice he remembered from home. What started as a personal project quickly became an obsession. He sought advice from family members across Nigeria, tested countless batches, and refined a recipe that captured the rich, smoky flavor he had been searching for.
When friends and family began asking for jars of the sauce, we realized there was an opportunity to share these flavors more broadly.
Today, M&AK's Kitchen exists to make West African flavors more accessible at home without compromising on quality, flavor, or ingredients.
What Makes Us Different
Crafted with real tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and carefully selected spices. Every jar is vegan, and made without seed oils, preservatives, MSG, dyes, or other additives.
Meet the Founders
grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where food was an important part of family life and community. His lifelong love of cooking inspired the recipes that became the foundation of M&AK's Kitchen.
is a lifelong food enthusiast with a passion for both flavor and nutrition. Together, Michelle and AK built M&AK's Kitchen to share the flavors they love while creating products that align with their commitment to high-quality, ingredient-conscious food.
The "M" and "AK" in M&AK's Kitchen represent the partnership at the heart of the company: a husband-and-wife team bringing together different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives around a shared belief that great food starts with great ingredients.