The Gambia, a tiny West African nation surrounded on all sides by Senegal, is a tourist hub that offers various delicious local dishes. The country is truly blessed with a rich cultural cuisine. A close look at the country’s traditional dishes reveals The Gambia’s conservative cultural values. Gambian food is similar to most foods eaten in West Africa such as pepper soup, vegetable soup and the popular Jollof rice.
If you’re ever in The Gambia and want to eat Gambia (why not?), these courses should be on your must-eaters list!
1. Domoda
Domoda is one of the most popular dishes from the Gambia. It’s a peanut soup made with unsweetened peanut butter/paste. The peanut paste forms a base for the nutritious soup, which can also include other vegetables like sweet potatoes, meat, and spices. It is best eaten with rice.
2. Plasas
Plasas is a vegetable soup popularly consumed in West Africa in general. It is a Gambian dish that can be prepared in a number of ways using any green vegetable. However, spinach is recommended. It can also be cooked with vegetable oil or the famous palm oil. Some versions also include the addition of ground melon seeds, ogiri (carob seeds), and peanut butter.
3. Afra / Dibi
Afra or Dibi is a street food very popular in the US Gambia and Senegal. It’s basically grilled meat, with meat ranging from lamb to mutton depending on your preference. The flavorful meat is usually served with mustard sauce and baguette (baguette).
4. Olele
Olele is a Gambian pudding made from steamed beans aka moi moi in Nigeria. Olele can be eaten alone or as an accompaniment to rice dishes. It is best cooked in leaves to retain its local flavor, although it can also be cooked in tin cups.
5. Chicken Yassa
Another popular Gambian food is the Yassa, which can be either chicken or fish. It’s a hot and spicy dish that uses lots of onions, vinegar and lemon juice. This spicy goodness can be eaten with rice.
6. Ebb
Ebbeh is the Gambian version of gumbo, a dish popular in the Caribbean and America. It’s a stew usually thickened with cassava tubes and topped with fish flakes.
7. Benachin
Jollof rice is called Benachin in The Gambia. Originating from the Wolof people of Senegal, this dish is a West African staple that’s even more prized in Nigeria and Ghana.
8. Chakery
Chakery is a pudding made from couscous. It’s a sweet and creamy dish that could serve as a dessert and is best served cold. Chakery might include the addition of pineapple and berries or nuts. Think of it as Gambian oats – creamy oats.
9. Supakanja
Supakanja is a Gambian vegetable soup. The main ingredient of this soup is okra. It’s a delicious soup cooked like most West African soups. This includes spices, bouillon cubes, palm oil and other locally sourced ingredients. Supakanja is best served with rice or fufu. It is also suitable for pescatarians.
10. Pepper Soup
Pepper soup is another hot and spicy tasty Gambian food popular in West Africa. The sauce gets its flavor from the added animal protein – fish, seafood, mutton, chicken or goat meat. Pepper soup can be eaten alone or with rice.
11. Nyambeh Nyebbeh
Lovers of cassava and beans would surely knowabout the Nyambeh dish. Various oils are combined in a mixture of cassava, soup stock, onions and spices such as salt, pepper, chili and fried snapper. Nyambeh is commonly consumed in rural areas and also in urban areas.
12. Caldo
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While Yassa is made with chicken, Caldofast has the same recipe but with fish. Preparing Caldo is also quicker than Benachin since fish cooks faster. The lemon flavor added to this fish dish really sets it apart from caldo and makes it really tasty too.