The cuisine of Senegal has been influenced by nations like France, Portugal, and those of North Africa, and also by many ethnic groups, the largest being the Wolof

Wolof people

The Wolof are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.In Senegal, the Wolof form an ethnic plurality with about 43.3% of the population are Wolofs...

; Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, which first penetrated the region in the 11th century; and various European cultures, especially the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, who held the country as a colony until 1960. Immigrants have brought Senegalese restaurants to many world cities, where its popularity has been growing.

Because Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

 borders the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

, fish is an important staple. Chicken, lamb, pea, eggs, and beef are also used in Senegalese cooking, but not pork, due to the nation’s largely Muslim population. Peanuts, the primary crop, as well as couscous

Couscous

Couscous is a Berber dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple food throughout Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.-Etymology:...

, white rice

White rice

White rice is the name given to milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavour, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage and extend its storage life. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a bright, white, shiny...

, sweet potatoes, lentils, black-eyed peas and various vegetables, are also incorporated into many recipes. Meats and vegetables are typically stewed or marinated in herbs and spices, and then poured over rice or couscous or simply eaten with bread.

Popular fresh juices are made from bissap

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...

, ginger

Ginger

Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....

, Buy which is the fruit of the baobab

Baobab

Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....

 tree also known as "monkey bread fruit", mango

Mango

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

, or other fruit or wild trees. Desserts are very rich and sweet, combining native ingredients with the extravagance and style characteristic of the French impact on Senegal’s culinary methods. They are often served with fresh fruit and are traditionally followed by coffee or tea.

Meals

• Thiéboudienne
  Thieboudienne
  Thieboudienne, or ceebu jen, is a traditional dish from Senegal. It is made from fish, rice and tomato sauce. Its other ingredients include onions and peanut oil. Its ingredients are common in the country. The name of the dish comes from Wolof, meaning rice and fish....
  
   or Ceebu jën, flavorsome marinated fish cooked with tomato paste and a variety of vegetables, the national dish of Senegal.
• Yassa
  Yassa (food)
  Yassa is a spicy marinated dish prepared with poultry or fish. Originally Senegambian, yassa has become popular throughout West Africa.Chicken Yassa, prepared with onions and lemon , is a speciality from the Casamance region south of Dakar, and is one of the most popular recipes in West Africa.-In...
  
  , chicken or fish simmered in onion with a garlic, mustard, and lemon sauce.
• Maafe
  Maafe
  Maafe , or Groundnut Stew, is a stew common to much of West Africa. It originates from the Mandinka and Bambara people of Mali...
  
  , seasoned fish, chicken, lamb, or beef cooked with vegetables in a tomato and peanut butter sauce.
• Bassi-salté, seasoned meat cooked with tomato paste and vegetables over a local couscous
  Couscous
  Couscous is a Berber dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple food throughout Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.-Etymology:...
  
   called "cere".
• Sombi, sweet milk-rice soup.
• Capitaine à la Saint-Louisienne, perch
  Perch (disambiguation)
  Perch may refer to:*Perch , a surname *The USS Perch, multiple ships with the name*Perch , antique unit of measure of length, area or volume, depending on context, used in medieval France and the British Isles...
  
   stuffed with spices.
• Poisson à la braise, grilled fish flavored with lemon, garlic, and black pepper.
• Dibi, simmered, grilled lamb.
• Thiou
  Thiou
  The Thiou, about 3.5 km long, is considered one of the shortest rivers in France. It is an effluent of Lake Annecy and an affluent of Fier, which is in turn is a tributary of the Rhone. The Thiou is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Europe and a postcard of the city of Annecy...
  
  , a bouillabaisse
  Bouillabaisse
  Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup made with various kinds of cooked fish and shellfish and vegetables, flavored with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, bay leaf, fennel and saffron. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of...
  
   with vegetables.
• Fondé
  Fonde
  The Fonde Recreation Center, often known simply as Fonde or Fonde Rec, is a public gym near downtown Houston, Texas. Fonde is most well known for its basketball courts, which have been the proving ground for numerous NCAA and NBA basketball players during the summertime...
  
  , rolled millet-balls in sour cream.
• Fondue
  Fondue
  Fondue is a Swiss dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot over a spirit lamp , and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese...
  
  , melted chocolate or cheese covered fruit.
• A lot of the Senegalese people eat many vegetables and fruit, plus many types of fish due to Dakar being a port city.

Desserts

• Thiakry, a couscous pudding.
• Cinq Centimes, the Five-Cent Cookie, a peanut cookie popular in marketplaces.
• Banana Glace, a sophisticated banana soup dessert concentrated by Mamadou, owner of Les Cannibales Deux Restaurant in Dakar.

External links

• Senegal: Recipes and Menus from Africa, University of Pennsylvania