The Gambia is equipped with huge restaurants, and you can find a wide range of choices for food there, including Indian, Lebanese, Chinese, and Italian. Some restaurants also offer full English breakfast. However, along with foods from other cultures, Gambian cuisines are also something you must try, and both the locals and visitors enjoy them.
That’s why we have listed some of its delicious traditional cuisines, the 10 most popular foods in the Gambia. These dishes are discussed in the coming paragraphs with their recipes.
1. Ebbeh
Ebbeh is a nutritious and tasty traditional soup from the Gambia. The soup is prepared with different vegetables like cassava, cocoyam, and sweet potatoes. While other ingredients in the recipe are palm oil, lime juice, tamarind, chili peppers, stock cubes, and seafood like catfish, Bonga fish, crabs, and prawns.
2. Afra
Afra is normally consumed as a snack, and it is one of the locals’ favorite nighttime snacks. It is made of meat seasoned and then grilled. Then, Afra is served with spicy or mustard. You can find this snack in food stalls across the country. The delicious taste of this snack makes it a must-try food.
3. Tapalapa
Along with the Gambia, tapalapa is also popular in other countries like Guinea. It is a traditional bread prepared with a blend of wheat and millet flour. Other necessary ingredients in the recipe are yeast, cowpea flour, maize flour, and salt. Mix these ingredients with water to form the dough.
4. Akara
Akara is one of the favorite dishes of the locals there. It is normally consumed for breakfast with tapalapa bread. It is made of black-eyed peas grounded flour. Once cooked, the dish is served with a sauce made of jumbo and chili, and onions.
5. Fish Yassa
Fish Yassa is also known as Caldo or Poisson Yassa. This dish has been originated in Gambia and Senegal. For making fish Yassa, you will need white fish, onion, rice, mustard, garlic, lemons, and spicy peppers. You can either grill it or fry it whole.
6. Benachin
Benachin translates to one pot. This dish can be cooked with all types of meat. However, locals mostly use fish. Other ingredients in the recipe are tomatoes, onion, spring onions, carrots, cassava, sweet potatoes, bitter tomatoes, butternut squash, and aubergine.
7. Damoda
Damoda is the country’s national dish. It is a delicious peanut stew. It has two major varieties, i.e., with and without meat. For making damoda, you will need a pumpkin, peanuts, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and tomato paste. If you want to add meat, then add either chicken or beef. Once cooked, it is served with rice.
8. Superkanja
Superkanja or, in simple words, okra stew, is something you must not miss. This mouthwatering stew is prepared with onions, fish, beef, okra, and crabs or prawns. Locals enjoy eating it with rice.
9. Yassa
Yassa is one of the most common and largely eaten dishes in the Gambia. Visit any restaurant; you will find Yassa on the menu there. It has a different form; however, chicken Yassa is very famous. It is cooked with lime, chilies, mustard, onions, and Maggi cubes.
10. Wonjo Juice
Not a food, but wonjo juice must be included in the list. It has a very refreshing flavor which makes it a perfect summer drink. It is non-alcoholic and prepared with dried hibiscus flowers. For better taste, locals also add a little sugar.
Sources
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