Senegalese cuisine facts for kids

The cuisine of Senegal is a delicious part of West African food. It has been shaped by different cultures, including North African, French, and Portuguese influences. Many ethnic groups live in Senegal, with the Wolof being the largest. Their traditions, along with the Islamic faith, play a big role in how food is prepared.

Senegal is located right next to the Atlantic Ocean. This means that fish is a very important ingredient in many Senegalese dishes. Other common foods include chicken, lamb, peas, eggs, and beef. However, you won't find pork in Senegalese cooking. This is because most people in Senegal are Muslim, and their faith does not allow eating pork.

Peanuts are a major crop in Senegal. They are used in many recipes, along with couscous, white rice, sweet potatoes, lentils, and black-eyed peas. Fresh vegetables are also a big part of the meals. Meats and vegetables are often cooked slowly in stews or marinated with herbs and spices. These tasty mixtures are then usually served over rice or couscous, or sometimes with bread.

Senegal also has many refreshing drinks. Popular fresh juices are made from bissap (hibiscus flowers), ginger, and bouye. Bouye comes from the baobab tree, also known as "monkey bread fruit." You might also find juices made from mango or other fruits like corossol (soursop).

Desserts in Senegal are often very rich and sweet. They mix local ingredients with fancy styles from French cooking. Desserts are usually served with fresh fruit. After a meal, people traditionally enjoy coffee or attaya, which is a special kind of tea.

Popular Senegalese Meals

Senegalese meals are often hearty and full of flavor. Many dishes are served with rice, which is a staple food.

Thiéboudienne: The National Dish

Thieboudienne, also called chebu jën, means "The Rice of Fish." It is known as the national dish of Senegal.

• This dish features tasty fish marinated with parsley, lemon, garlic, and onions.
• The fish is then cooked with tomato paste and many vegetables. These can include lettuce, cabbage, and carrots.
• Rice is added later, giving the dish a reddish color.

Rice Dishes with Meat

Senegalese cuisine has several popular rice dishes made with different meats.

• Thiébou yapp or chebu yap means "The Rice of Meat." It is very popular and usually made with beef or lamb.
  • The meat is first fried and seasoned with onions, garlic, and different peppers.
  • Mustard and water are added to make the meat tender and soak up all the flavors.
  • Rice is then mixed in and often garnished with green olives or cooked black-eyed peas.
• Thiébou guinar or chebu ginaar means "The Rice of Chicken."
  • The preparation is similar to chebu yap. Chicken is fried with herbs and spices.
  • It is then soaked in water and mustard.
  • When rice is added, it is usually garnished with carrots.
• Thiébou guerté or chebu gerte means "The Rice of Peanut."
  • Peanuts are a very important crop in Senegal.
  • This dish follows similar steps to the other meat and rice dishes.
  • However, peanut butter is added instead of mustard, mixed with water to flavor the meat.
  • This creates a thick, rich sauce with the rice. This dish is less common and often saved for special events.

Other Delicious Dishes

• Yassa is a popular dish in West Africa.
  • It features chicken or fish marinated with spices.
  • The meat is then cooked slowly with onion, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice.
  • This creates a flavorful chicken and onion sauce, served with plain white rice.
• Chere is a type of millet couscous. You can find it in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania.
• Maafe is a stew made with seasoned fish, chicken, lamb, or beef.
  • It is cooked with vegetables in a rich tomato and peanut butter sauce.
• Bassi-salté is a traditional stew.
  • It has seasoned meat cooked with tomato paste and vegetables.
  • This stew is served over a local couscous called chere.
• Sombi is a sweet soup made with milk and rice.
• Capitaine à la Saint-Louisienne is a dish of perch fish stuffed with spices.
• Footi is a sauce made from vegetables.
• Ndambé or ndambe is a breakfast sandwich.
  • It consists of beans cooked in a spiced tomato paste.
  • This mixture is typically served on bread.
• Fattaya is a common street food.
  • It is fried dough filled with French fries, a thick yassa onion sauce, a fried egg, and a little ketchup and hot sauce.

Sweet Desserts

Senegalese desserts are often sweet and satisfying.

• Thiakry is a popular couscous pudding.
• Lakh is a pudding similar to Thiakry, but it uses Thiakry grains and a more liquid yogurt.
• Cinq Centimes means "The Five-Cent Cookie." It is a peanut cookie often sold in marketplaces.
• Banana glacé is a fancy banana soup dessert. It was created by Mamadou, who owned a restaurant in Dakar.

Refreshing Drinks

Drinks are an important part of Senegalese culture.

• Powdered milk, which is imported, is often preferred over local milks. Curdled milk is also very popular.
• Drinking fresh fruit juice is not as common as other beverages.
• Bissap is the most popular drink.
  • It is a purplish-red juice made from hibiscus flowers, water, and sugar.
  • Sometimes, fresh mint leaves and orange blossom are added for extra flavor.
• Other popular juices include dakhar (tamarind juice) and gingembre (ginger brew).
• Bouye is a brew made from the baobab fruit, also known as "monkey bread."
• Tea is also very popular and often served in a special way.
• Local beers like Gazelle and Flag are available. However, most people in Senegal are Muslim, so alcohol is not widely consumed.

See also

In Spanish: Gastronomía de Senegal para niños

Images for kids

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  Ears of fonio (or acha). This ancient grain is rich in protein and grows well in dry areas. It doesn't need pesticides. In Senegal, fonio is part of local customs and is used in breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It became popular again when Sanoussi Diakité invented a machine to husk it.