Around the World: Senegalese cuisine

Amidst coronavirus, I’m sticking to what I – and a lot of other people – love most: cooking and baking.  One challenge I’ve presented to myself is to make a dish (or dishes) of international cuisines every week, learn some words from the language, and e-visit some of the country’s landmarks.  Some of these dishes will be more complex than others, based on what ingredients I have available in the house.

This week, I decided to venture to the African country of Senegal.

I’ve never had African cuisine, so I was eager to learn more about its ingredients, processes, and recipes. West African cuisine is influenced by North Africa, France, and Portugal. Many dishes have a base of tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers, which are sautéed, usually with palm nut oil. Senegal’s primary crop is peanuts, and couscous, white rice, sweet potatoes, lentils, black-eyed peas are also incorporated.

THE DISH: CHICKEN YASSA WITH FONIO (GF + DF)

I had never heard of chicken yassa until I got an email from the New York Times’ cooking section, placing this as its recipe of the week. Chicken yassa, or Yassa au poulet, is a popular dish in Senegal. Chicken or fish is marinated with spices, simmered in a pan with onion, garlic, mustard, lime juice, and other ingredients.

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This recipe was certainly laborious and time consuming, but the end product was worth it. The flavors were layered and well-developed; the sweetness of the caramelized onions, with the acidity from lime juice was astonishing with the marinated chicken. I’ve been avoiding non-seafood meat for the past couple months, but decided to try a bite of this chicken and was pleasantly surprised.

While the chicken was cooking, I made a pot of fonio. Fonio is a naturally gluten-free ancient grain that has been grown in West Africa for thousands of years – it has even been found entombed in Egyptian pyramids! Fonio also has a low glycemic index, and is rich in essential amino acids Methionine and Cystine. Personally, it reminds me of a hybrid between couscous and polenta.

The next day, I had leftover onions and vegetables from the dish, and mixed it with some roasted tofu and it was so good.

Recipe: NYT’s Chicken Yassa

• If you do not have a NYT subscription, this recipe from Panning the Globe got great reviews.

USEFUL WORDS

Although Wolof if most widely spoken in Senegal, French is the official language.

Greetings

• Salaamaalikum –> Hello
• Ngoonu jàmm –> Good afternoon
• Na nga def? –> How are you?
• Maa cgi sant –> I am fine
• Maa ngi tudd ___ –> My name is ___
• Ba beneen –> Goodbye
• Waaw –> Yes
• Déedéet –> No
• Jéggal ma –> Excuse me
• Jéggalu –> Sorry
• Jërëjëf –> Thank you

LANDMARKS

It was super interesting to learn about Senegal’s landmarks, as the country is not known for its tourism.

House of Slaves, Dakar

The House of Slaves is a museum and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade.

Ile de Madeleine

The Ile de Madeleine is an uninhabited island, known for its birds, fish, and plant life.

Marché Sandaga

This is a bustling market with textile, art, and more.

Waterfall of Dindefelo

This waterfall is part of the Niokolo-Koba National Park, which is a UNESCO Biosphere world heritage site.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of Senegal. Ba beneen yoon! (Until next time!)