Your Taste Buds Will Thank You: Senegalese Cuisine

Make sure you try these traditional dishes when you’re in Senegal.

Thiéboudienne is a national favorite and consists of fish with rice and a tomato sauce, as well as local vegetables. You might hear it referred to as tcheb for short, and the dish has become a favorite along the Senegalese coast. There is a meaty version, ceebu yapp, more common inland.

Peanuts are a huge part of Senegalese agriculture, and they are put to good use in a dish called mafe. This spicy stew is made with a tomato and peanut base, and usually comes with beef. However lamb, chicken or vegetables may also be used.

Dibi refers to smoked lamb cooked over wood-fired grills, served with grilled onions, fried plantain and manioc. It makes for a great snack with beers.

Everywhere you go in Senegal, you will find yassa on the menu. It is made with caramelized onions, garlic and lemon juice, served over fish or chicken and rice.

Make sure you also look out for thiof, Senegal’s national fish. It’s a meaty specimen great over the grill, and usually big enough to serve two people. It may well be the most expensive fish on the menu, but it’s more than worth it if you split the bill.