There are certain flavours that carry more than taste. They carry memories. For many African and Caribbean families, plantain is one of them. It can mean family dinners, celebrations, childhood meals, or the familiar comfort of something that has always been on the table. With DÒDÒ, Tola Alade takes that familiarity into a bottle.
DÒDÒ is a plantain-infused rum spirit built around one of the most beloved foods in Africa and the Caribbean. Its name comes from the Yoruba word for fried plantain. What’s interesting is that the idea did not begin as a serious spirits venture; it began as an April fool’s joke. But instead of laughing along, people started asking where they could get the drink.
“It started as an April Fool’s joke in 2024. I posted about a plantain-infused spirit as a prank, and people immediately asked where they could buy it. That response told me the idea was real. I wanted something that tasted like home for people who grew up with plantain on the table and something inviting for anyone discovering that flavour for the first time,” Tola Alade told Rolling Stone Africa.
People’s response to the prank made Alade realise that there is a market for the product. Plantain is already a familiar part of everyday life for many people, but turning it into a spirit gives it a whole new experience. With DÒDÒ, Alade didn’t just use African culture as part of the branding. He took something people already know and love and turned it into a drink that feels personal, nostalgic, and new.
“For a lot of African and Caribbean families, plantain isn’t just food. It’s family dinners, celebrations, and nostalgia. Turning that into a spirit felt like the most honest way to put culture in a bottle without dressing it up as a concept. The community reaction to the joke made the leap from idea to bottle feel obvious,” Alade said.
The spirit’s name, DÒDÒ, which is the Yoruba word for fried plantain, makes the product instantly recognisable to those who know it while inviting others to discover the story behind the name. The drink occupies a space between premium spirits and cultural familiarity. DÒDÒ is rooted in a flavour that many already know, but its presentation gives the flavour a new context.
Alade hopes the spirit can become part of Africa’s evolving drinks culture while remaining connected to where its inspiration comes from. “I want it to sit in Africa’s drinks culture as something proudly ours: premium, joyful, and rooted,” he said.
That sense of joy is central to the experience he wants DÒDÒ to create. He shared with Rolling Stone Africa what he wishes people will experience after tasting the drink. “When people taste it, I want caramelised plantain, warmth, and a sense of celebration. Like the table after a good meal,” Alade stated.
DÒDÒ takes a flavour associated with gathering and turns it into another reason to gather, bringing together food, memory, culture and drinks in a bottle. For anyone looking to discover something different in Africa’s growing spirits landscape, DÒDÒ offers a compelling place to start. A familiar taste in an unfamiliar form, with a story that began online and found its way into the real world.
