Main

Afra

Seasoned and grilled meat such as lamb, goat, bush meat

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Akara

Àkàrà (yoruba)(hausa: kosai, portuguese: acarajé (portuguese pronunciation: [akaɾaˈʒɛ] (listen)) is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans (black eye peas). it is found throughout west african, caribbean, and brazilian cuisines. the dish is traditionally encountered in brazil's northeastern state of bahia, especially in the city of salvador. acarajé serves as both a religious offering to the gods in the candomblé religion and as street food. the dish was brought by enslaved peoples from west africa, and can still be found in various forms in nigeria, ghana, togo, benin, mali, gambia, burkina faso and sierra leone.akara is made from peeled beans (black eye peas), washed and ground with pepper, and other preferred seasonings, then beaten to aerate them, and deep fried in small balls.brazilian acarajé is made from cooked and mashed cowpeas that are seasoned with salt and chopped onions molded into the shape of a large scone and deep-fried in dendê with a wok-like pan in front of the customers. it is served split in half and stuffed with vatapá and caruru – spicy pastes made from shrimp, ground cashews, palm oil and other ingredients. a vegetarian version is typically served with hot peppers and green tomatoes. acarajé can also come in a second form called abara, where the ingredients are boiled instead of deep-fried.

Breakfast

Akara

Àkàrà (yoruba)(hausa: kosai, portuguese: acarajé (portuguese pronunciation: [akaɾaˈʒɛ] (listen)) is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans (black eye peas). it is found throughout west african, caribbean, and brazilian cuisines. the dish is traditionally encountered in brazil's northeastern state of bahia, especially in the city of salvador. acarajé serves as both a religious offering to the gods in the candomblé religion and as street food. the dish was brought by enslaved peoples from west africa, and can still be found in various forms in nigeria, ghana, togo, benin, mali, gambia, burkina faso and sierra leone.akara is made from peeled beans (black eye peas), washed and ground with pepper, and other preferred seasonings, then beaten to aerate them, and deep fried in small balls.brazilian acarajé is made from cooked and mashed cowpeas that are seasoned with salt and chopped onions molded into the shape of a large scone and deep-fried in dendê with a wok-like pan in front of the customers. it is served split in half and stuffed with vatapá and caruru – spicy pastes made from shrimp, ground cashews, palm oil and other ingredients. a vegetarian version is typically served with hot peppers and green tomatoes. acarajé can also come in a second form called abara, where the ingredients are boiled instead of deep-fried.

Drink

Attaya

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to china, india and other east asian countries. tea is also rarely made from the leaves of camellia taliensis. after water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world. there are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. tea has a stimulating effect in humans primarily due to its caffeine content.tea plants are native to east asia and probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern china and northern burma. an early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century ad, in a medical text written by hua tuo. it was popularised as a recreational drink during the chinese tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other east asian countries. portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to europe during the 16th century. during the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the english, who started to plant tea on a large scale in india. the term herbal tea refers to drinks not made from camellia sinensis. they are the infusions of fruit, leaves, or other plant parts, such as steeps of rosehip, chamomile, or rooibos. these may be called tisanes or herbal infusions to prevent confusion with tea made from the tea plant.

Drink

Baobab fruit juice

Adansonia digitata, the african baobab, is the most widespread tree species of the genus adansonia, the baobabs, and is native to the african continent and the southern arabian peninsula (yemen, oman). these are long-lived pachycauls; radiocarbon dating has shown some individuals to be over 2,000 years old. they are typically found in dry, hot savannas of sub-saharan africa, where they dominate the landscape and reveal the presence of a watercourse from afar. they have traditionally been valued as sources of food, water, health remedies or places of shelter and are a key food source for many animals. they are steeped in legend and superstition. in recent years, many of the largest, oldest trees have died, possibly due to climate change. common names for the baobab include monkey-bread tree, upside-down tree, and cream of tartar tree.

Main

Benachin

Jollof (), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from west africa. the dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions.

Breakfast

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. it is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of agriculture, and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture. bread may be leavened by naturally occurring microbes (e.g. sourdough), chemicals (e.g. baking soda), industrially produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration, which creates the gas bubbles that fluff up bread. in many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cassava

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names) is a woody shrub of the spurge family, euphorbiaceae, native to south america. although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. though it is often called yuca in parts of spanish america and in the united states, it is not related to yucca, a shrub in the family asparagaceae. cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are used to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. the brazilian farinha, and the related garri of west africa, is an edible coarse flour obtained by grating cassava roots, pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp, and finally drying it (and roasting both in the case of farinha and garri). cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. it is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava, while thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch. cassava is classified as either sweet or bitter. like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of cassava contain antinutritional factors and toxins, with the bitter varieties containing much larger amounts. it must be properly prepared before consumption, as improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication, goiters, and even ataxia, partial paralysis, or death. the more toxic varieties of cassava are a fall-back resource (a "food security crop") in times of famine or food insecurity in some places. farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chere

Millet couscous

Main

Cherreh mbuum

Stewed greens, dried fish, beef, vegetables, peanuts, serve with millet couscous

Main

Chew i kong

Catfish stew

Main

Chew i yappa

Beef stew

Breakfast

Chura gerrte

Boiled rice and peanuts

Main

Couscous

Couscous (arabic: كُسْكُس kuskus; berber languages: ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, romanized: seksu) – sometimes called kusksi or kseksu – is a maghrebi dish of small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.: 18 couscous is a staple food throughout the maghrebi cuisines of algeria, tunisia, mauritania, morocco, and libya.: 250  it was integrated into french and european cuisine at the beginning of the twentieth century, through the french colonial empire and the pieds-noirs of algeria. in 2020, couscous was added to unesco's intangible cultural heritage list.

Main

Domoda

Peanut stew or groundnut stew, also called as maafe (wolof, mafé, maffé, maffe), sauce d'arachide (french), tigadèguèna or domoda, is a stew that is a staple food in western africa. it originates from the mandinka and bambara people of mali.the proper name for it in the mandinka language is domodah or tigadegena (lit. 'peanut butter sauce,' where tige is 'peanut,' dege is 'paste,' and na is 'sauce') in bamanankan.domodah is also used by gambians, having been borrowed from the mandinka language. in senegal domodah or domoda referts to flour-thickened soup or stew, which is different from mafe that uses peanut paste. it is a favorite dish among several senegal and gambia ethnic groups. with the huge expansion of groundnut cultivation during the colonial period, maafe has also become a popular dish across west africa, even outside west africa such as in cameroon and france. variants of the dish appear in the cuisine of nations throughout west africa and central africa. it is very similar to groundnut soup. it may have a thicker consistency. made from lamb, beef, chicken, or without meat, maafe is cooked with a sauce based on groundnuts, especially peanut butter/paste, and tomatoes. in ghana, groundnut stew is often accompanied with fufu.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dried fish

Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. water is usually removed by evaporation (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying) but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food. fish are preserved through such traditional methods as drying, smoking and salting. the oldest traditional way of preserving fish was to let the wind and sun dry it. drying food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. the method is cheap and effective in suitable climates; the work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.

Main

Ebbeh

Soup with vegetables, seafood, spices

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fataya

Small savory pies filled with fish, beef, vegetables

Main

Fish

Many species of fish are caught by humans and consumed as food in virtually all regions around the world. fish has been an important dietary source of protein and other nutrients throughout human history. the english language does not have a special culinary name for food prepared from fish like with other animals (as with pig vs. pork), or as in other languages (such as spanish pescado vs. pez). in culinary and fishery contexts, fish may include so-called shellfish such as molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms; more expansively, seafood covers both fish and other marine life used as food.since 1961, the average annual increase in global apparent food fish consumption (3.2 percent) has outpaced population growth (1.6 percent) and exceeded consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals, combined (2.8 percent) and individually (bovine, ovine, porcine, etc.), except poultry (4.9 percent). in per capita terms, food fish consumption has grown from 9.0 kg (19.8 lb) in 1961 to 20.2 kg (45 lb) in 2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 percent per year. the expansion in consumption has been driven not only by increased production, but also by a combination of many other factors, including reduced wastage, better utilization, improved distribution channels and growing consumer demand, linked with population growth, rising disposable incomes and urbanization.europe, japan and the united states of america together accounted for 47 percent of the world's total food fish consumption in 1961, but only about 20 percent in 2015. of the global total of 149 million tonnes in 2015, asia consumed more than two-thirds (106 million tonnes at 24.0 kg per capita). oceania and africa consumed the lowest share. the shift is the result of structural changes in the sector and in particular the growing role of asian countries in fish production, as well as a significant gap between the economic growth rates of the world's more mature fish markets and those of many increasingly important emerging markets around the world, particularly in asia.

Main

Fish ball

Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or potato starch.fish balls are popular in east and southeast asia, where it is eaten as a snack or added to soups or hotpot dishes. they are usually attributed to chinese cuisine and the fish ball industry is largely operated by people of chinese descent.: 286  european versions tend to be less processed, sometimes using milk or potatoes for binding. nordic countries also have their own variation.

Drink

Fruit juice

Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. it can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as clam juice. juice is commonly consumed as a beverage or used as an ingredient or flavoring in foods or other beverages, as for smoothies. juice emerged as a popular beverage choice after the development of pasteurization methods enabled its preservation without using fermentation (which is used in wine production). the largest fruit juice consumers are new zealand (nearly a cup, or 8 ounces, each day) and colombia (more than three quarters of a cup each day). fruit juice consumption on average increases with country income level.

Main

Fufu

Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou) is a dough-like food found in west african cuisine. in addition to ghana, it is also found in sierra leone, guinea, liberia, cote d'ivoire, benin, togo, nigeria, cameroon, the democratic republic of congo, the central african republic, the republic of congo, angola and gabon. it is often made in the traditional ghanaian, ivorian, liberian, and cuban method of separately mixing and pounding equal portions of boiled cassava with green plantain or cocoyam, or by mixing cassava/plantains or cocoyam flour with water and stirring it on a stove. the viscosity is then adjusted based on personal preference and eaten with broth-like soups. some countries, particularly nigeria, have a version of fufu made from fermented cassava dough (called akpu by nigerians) that is eaten with thick textured stews. other flours, such as semolina, maize flour, or mashed plantains may take the place of cassava flour. fufu is eaten with the fingers, and a small ball of it can be dipped into an accompanying soup or sauce.

Main

Haako

Steamed couscous and stewed vegetables or vegetable sauce

Breakfast

Honde

Sweet couscous porridge with sour milk

Drink

Jul Brew

Made by banjul breweries

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Jumbo seasoning cubes

Main

Kaldou

Yassa is a spicy dish prepared with onions and either marinated poultry or marinated fish. originally from senegal, yassa has become popular throughout west africa. chicken yassa (known as yassa au poulet), prepared with onions, lemon or mustard, is a specialty from the casamance region in the south of senegal. other meats used for yassa are lamb and fish.

Dessert, Sweet

Lakh

Millet porridge with soured milk, fruit, coconut, vanilla, sugar, orange water

Main

Mafé

Peanut stew or groundnut stew, also called as maafe (wolof, mafé, maffé, maffe), sauce d'arachide (french), tigadèguèna or domoda, is a stew that is a staple food in western africa. it originates from the mandinka and bambara people of mali.the proper name for it in the mandinka language is domodah or tigadegena (lit. 'peanut butter sauce,' where tige is 'peanut,' dege is 'paste,' and na is 'sauce') in bamanankan.domodah is also used by gambians, having been borrowed from the mandinka language. in senegal domodah or domoda referts to flour-thickened soup or stew, which is different from mafe that uses peanut paste. it is a favorite dish among several senegal and gambia ethnic groups. with the huge expansion of groundnut cultivation during the colonial period, maafe has also become a popular dish across west africa, even outside west africa such as in cameroon and france. variants of the dish appear in the cuisine of nations throughout west africa and central africa. it is very similar to groundnut soup. it may have a thicker consistency. made from lamb, beef, chicken, or without meat, maafe is cooked with a sauce based on groundnuts, especially peanut butter/paste, and tomatoes. in ghana, groundnut stew is often accompanied with fufu.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Maggi

Maggi (pronounced [ˈmaɡi] or pronounced [ˈmadːʒi]) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in switzerland in the late 19th century. the maggi company was acquired by nestlé in 1947.

Main

Mbahal

Rice mixed with black-eyed peas, beans, smoked fish, dry salted fish, peanuts, bitter tomato (jattoo), spices

Breakfast

Milk

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. it is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system, and thus reduces the risk of many diseases. milk contains many nutrients, including protein and lactose.the us cdc recommends that children over the age of 12 months should have two servings of dairy milk products a day.as an agricultural product, dairy milk is collected from farm animals. in 2011, dairy farms produced around 730 million tonnes (800 million short tons) of milk from 260 million dairy cows. india is the world's largest producer of milk and the leading exporter of skimmed milk powder, but it exports few other milk products. because there is an ever-increasing demand for dairy products within india, it could eventually become a net importer of dairy products. new zealand, germany and the netherlands are the largest exporters of milk products.more than six billion people worldwide consume milk and milk products, and between 750 and 900 million people live in dairy-farming households.

Drink

Milk

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. it is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system, and thus reduces the risk of many diseases. milk contains many nutrients, including protein and lactose.the us cdc recommends that children over the age of 12 months should have two servings of dairy milk products a day.as an agricultural product, dairy milk is collected from farm animals. in 2011, dairy farms produced around 730 million tonnes (800 million short tons) of milk from 260 million dairy cows. india is the world's largest producer of milk and the leading exporter of skimmed milk powder, but it exports few other milk products. because there is an ever-increasing demand for dairy products within india, it could eventually become a net importer of dairy products. new zealand, germany and the netherlands are the largest exporters of milk products.more than six billion people worldwide consume milk and milk products, and between 750 and 900 million people live in dairy-farming households.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Millet

Millets () are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe paniceae, but some millets also belong to various other taxa. millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics of asia and africa (especially in india, mali, nigeria, and niger), with 97% of millet production in developing countries. this crop is favored due to its productivity and short growing season under dry, high-temperature conditions. millets are indigenous to many parts of the world. the most widely grown millets are sorghum and pearl millets, which are important crops in india and parts of africa. finger millet, proso millet, and foxtail millet are also important crop species. millets may have been consumed by humans for about 7,000 years and potentially had "a pivotal role in the rise of multi-crop agriculture and settled farming societies."

Main

Nyambeh nyebbeh

Cassava and beans

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Okra

Okra or okro (us: , uk: ), abelmoschus esculentus, known in many english-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. it has edible green seed pods. the geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of west african, ethiopian, southeast asian, and south asian origins. the plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world and is a notable part of the cuisine of the southern united states as well as middle eastern cuisine, indian cuisine, brazilian cuisine and sri lankan cuisine.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Oleleh

Savory steamed pudding made with black-eyed peas, may include meat, fish

Main

Palava sauce

Palaver sauce or palava sauce or plasas is a type of stew widely eaten in west africa, including ghana, liberia, sierra leone and nigeria. the word palaver comes from the portuguese language and means a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel. it is unclear how this led to the name of the stew. one theory is that the spices used in the stew mingle together like raised voices in an argument. it has been thought of as having the power to calm tensions, or to cause them. other names for the dish include kontonmire, kentumere, nkontommire and pla'sas.it has regional variations and can contain beef, fish, shrimp, pepitas(egusi), cassava, taro (cocoyam) leaves, and palm oil. it is served with boiled rice, potatoes, garri, fufu or yams. outside of africa, spinach is often used as a substitute for other greens. the leaves used to make this soup in liberia are called molokhia or mulukhiyah leaves.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Palm oil

Elaeis (from greek 'oil') is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. they are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. the african oil palm elaeis guineensis (the species name guineensis referring to its country of origin) is the principal source of palm oil. it is native to west and southwest africa, occurring between angola and gambia. the american oil palm elaeis oleifera (from latin oleifer 'oil-producing') is native to tropical central and south america, and is used locally for oil production.

Drink

Palm wine

Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. it is known by various names in different regions and is common in various parts of africa, the caribbean, south america, south asia, southeast asia and micronesia. palm wine production by smallholders and individual farmers may promote conservation as palm trees become a source of regular household income that may economically be worth more than the value of timber sold.

Breakfast

Pap

Ugali, or sima, is a type of stiff maize flour porridge made in africa. it is also known as vuswa, bogobe, fufu, gauli, gima, isitshwala, kimnyet, kuon, mieliepap, ngima, nshima, obokima, ovuchima, (o)busuma, oshifima, oruhere, pap, phutu, posho, sadza, ubugali, and umutsima, among other names. sima is sometimes made from other flours, such as millet or sorghum flour, and is sometimes mixed with cassava flour. it is cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a stiff or firm dough-like consistency. in 2017, the dish was added to the unesco representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, one of a few foods in the list.

Main

Pap

Ugali, or sima, is a type of stiff maize flour porridge made in africa. it is also known as vuswa, bogobe, fufu, gauli, gima, isitshwala, kimnyet, kuon, mieliepap, ngima, nshima, obokima, ovuchima, (o)busuma, oshifima, oruhere, pap, phutu, posho, sadza, ubugali, and umutsima, among other names. sima is sometimes made from other flours, such as millet or sorghum flour, and is sometimes mixed with cassava flour. it is cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a stiff or firm dough-like consistency. in 2017, the dish was added to the unesco representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, one of a few foods in the list.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Peanuts

The peanut (arachis hypogaea) also known as the groundnut, goober (us), pindar (us) or monkey nut (uk), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. it is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, being important to both small and large commercial producers. it is classified as both a grain legume and, due to its high oil content, an oil crop. world annual production of shelled peanuts was 44 million tonnes in 2016, led by china with 38% of the world total. atypically among legume crop plants, peanut pods develop underground (geocarpy) rather than above ground. with this characteristic in mind, the botanist carl linnaeus gave peanuts the specific epithet hypogaea, which means "under the earth". the peanut belongs to the botanical family fabaceae (or leguminosae), commonly known as the legume, bean, or pea family. like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules. the capacity to fix nitrogen means peanuts require less nitrogen-containing fertilizer and improve soil fertility, making them valuable in crop rotations. peanuts are similar in taste and nutritional profile to tree nuts such as walnuts and almonds, and, as a culinary nut, are often served in similar ways in western cuisines. the botanical definition of a nut is "a fruit whose ovary wall becomes hard at maturity". using this criterion, the peanut is not a nut. however, peanuts are usually categorized as nuts for culinary purposes and in common english more generally.

Main

Peanut sauce

Peanut stew or groundnut stew, also called as maafe (wolof, mafé, maffé, maffe), sauce d'arachide (french), tigadèguèna or domoda, is a stew that is a staple food in western africa. it originates from the mandinka and bambara people of mali.the proper name for it in the mandinka language is domodah or tigadegena (lit. 'peanut butter sauce,' where tige is 'peanut,' dege is 'paste,' and na is 'sauce') in bamanankan.domodah is also used by gambians, having been borrowed from the mandinka language. in senegal domodah or domoda referts to flour-thickened soup or stew, which is different from mafe that uses peanut paste. it is a favorite dish among several senegal and gambia ethnic groups. with the huge expansion of groundnut cultivation during the colonial period, maafe has also become a popular dish across west africa, even outside west africa such as in cameroon and france. variants of the dish appear in the cuisine of nations throughout west africa and central africa. it is very similar to groundnut soup. it may have a thicker consistency. made from lamb, beef, chicken, or without meat, maafe is cooked with a sauce based on groundnuts, especially peanut butter/paste, and tomatoes. in ghana, groundnut stew is often accompanied with fufu.

Main

Pepper soup

Peppersoup is a soup from parts of west africa, notably nigeria that is prepared using various meats, chili peppers and calabash nutmeg as primary ingredients. it is a spicy soup that has a light, watery texture. it is considered to be a delicacy by some people in western africa, and some west africans believe that the soup has medicinal qualities.

Main

Plasas

Palaver sauce or palava sauce or plasas is a type of stew widely eaten in west africa, including ghana, liberia, sierra leone and nigeria. the word palaver comes from the portuguese language and means a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel. it is unclear how this led to the name of the stew. one theory is that the spices used in the stew mingle together like raised voices in an argument. it has been thought of as having the power to calm tensions, or to cause them. other names for the dish include kontonmire, kentumere, nkontommire and pla'sas.it has regional variations and can contain beef, fish, shrimp, pepitas(egusi), cassava, taro (cocoyam) leaves, and palm oil. it is served with boiled rice, potatoes, garri, fufu or yams. outside of africa, spinach is often used as a substitute for other greens. the leaves used to make this soup in liberia are called molokhia or mulukhiyah leaves.

Main

Rice

Rice is the seed of the grass species oryza sativa (asian rice) or less commonly oryza glaberrima (african rice). the name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera zizania and porteresia, both wild and domesticated, although the term may also be used for primitive or uncultivated varieties of oryza. as a cereal grain, domesticated rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world's human population, especially in asia and africa. it is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize. since sizable portions of sugarcane and maize crops are used for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important food crop with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans. there are many varieties of rice and culinary preferences tend to vary regionally. the traditional method for cultivating rice is flooding the fields while, or after, setting the young seedlings. this simple method requires sound irrigation planning but reduces the growth of less robust weed and pest plants that have no submerged growth state, and deters vermin. while flooding is not mandatory for the cultivation of rice, all other methods of irrigation require higher effort in weed and pest control during growth periods and a different approach for fertilizing the soil. rice, a monocot, is normally grown as an annual plant, although in tropical areas it can survive as a perennial and can produce a ratoon crop for up to 30 years. rice cultivation is well-suited to countries and regions with low labor costs and high rainfall, as it is labor-intensive to cultivate and requires ample water. however, rice can be grown practically anywhere, even on a steep hill or mountain area with the use of water-controlling terrace systems. although its parent species are native to asia and certain parts of africa, centuries of trade and exportation have made it commonplace in many cultures worldwide. production and consumption of rice is estimated to have been responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010.

Main

River Gambia oysters

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Salad

A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. they are often dressed, and typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. garden salads use a base of leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula/rocket, kale or spinach; they are common enough that the word salad alone often refers specifically to garden salads. other types include bean salad, tuna salad, fattoush, greek salad (vegetable-based, but without leafy greens), and sōmen salad (a noodle-based salad). salads may be served at any point during a meal: appetizer salads—light, smaller-portion salads served as the first course of the meal side salads—to accompany the main course as a side dish; examples include potato salad and coleslaw main course salads—usually containing a portion of one or more high-protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, legumes, or cheese dessert salads—sweet salads containing fruit, gelatin, sweeteners or whipped creamwhen a sauce is used to flavor a salad, it is generally called a salad dressing; most salad dressings are based on either a mixture of oil and vinegar or a creamy dairy base.

Main

Sauce gombo

Stewed meat, seafood, okra

Main

Seafood

Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus and squid), crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, crabs, and lobster), and echinoderms (e.g. sea cucumbers and sea urchins). historically, marine mammals such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins) as well as seals have been eaten as food, though that happens to a lesser extent in modern times. edible sea plants such as some seaweeds and microalgae are widely eaten as sea vegetables around the world, especially in asia. seafood is an important source of (animal) protein in many diets around the world, especially in coastal areas. semi-vegetarians who consume seafood as the only source of meat are said to adhere to pescetarianism. the harvesting of wild seafood is usually known as fishing or hunting, while the cultivation and farming of seafood is known as aquaculture and fish farming (in the case of fish). most of the seafood harvest is consumed by humans, but a significant proportion is used as fish food to farm other fish or rear farm animals. some seafoods (i.e. kelp) are used as food for other plants (a fertilizer). in these ways, seafoods are used to produce further food for human consumption. also, products such as fish oil and spirulina tablets are extracted from seafoods. some seafood is fed to aquarium fish, or used to feed domestic pets such as cats. a small proportion is used in medicine, or is used industrially for nonfood purposes (e.g. leather).

Main

Shrimp

Shrimp are crustaceans with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly caridea and dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are referred to as "shrimp". more narrow definitions may be restricted to caridea, to smaller species of either group or to only the marine species. under a broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long, narrow muscular tails (abdomens), long whiskers (antennae), and slender legs. any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to be called one. they swim forward by paddling with swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens, although their escape response is typically repeated flicks with the tail driving them backwards very quickly. crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas shrimp have thin, fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.shrimp are widespread and abundant. there are thousands of species adapted to a wide range of habitats. they can be found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes. to escape predators, some species flip off the seafloor and dive into the sediment. they usually live from one to seven years. shrimp are often solitary, though they can form large schools during the spawning season.they play important roles in the food chain and are an important food source for larger animals ranging from fish to whales. the muscular tails of many shrimp are edible to humans, and they are widely caught and farmed for human consumption. commercial shrimp species support an industry worth 50 billion dollars a year, and in 2010 the total commercial production of shrimp was nearly 7 million tonnes. shrimp farming became more prevalent during the 1980s, particularly in china, and by 2007 the harvest from shrimp farms exceeded the capture of wild shrimp. there are significant issues with excessive bycatch when shrimp are captured in the wild, and with pollution damage done to estuaries when they are used to support shrimp farming. many shrimp species are small as the term shrimp suggests, about 2 cm (0.79 in) long, but some shrimp exceed 25 cm (9.8 in). larger shrimp are more likely to be targeted commercially and are often referred to as prawns, particularly in britain.

Breakfast

Sombi

Coconut rice pudding

Main

Soupou kandja

Seafood and okra soup, made with okra, palm oil, fish, shrimp, crab, seafood, shellfish, beef, serve with rice

Main

Stewed fish

Main

Stewed fish fritters

Main

Stewed greens

Stewed cassava leaves, kale, malakwang, blackjack, goosefoot, marogo, pigweed, purslane, thistle, sweet potato leaves, malanga, pumpkin leaves, njama njama, spinach

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Stewed greens

Stewed cassava leaves, kale, malakwang, blackjack, goosefoot, marogo, pigweed, purslane, thistle, sweet potato leaves, malanga, pumpkin leaves, njama njama, spinach

Main

Stewed meat

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef, pork, lamb, poultry, sausages, and seafood. while water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, stock is also common. a small amount of red wine is sometimes added for flavour. seasoning and flavourings may also be added. stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature (simmered, not boiled), allowing flavours to mingle. stewing is suitable for the least tender cuts of meat that become tender and juicy with the slow moist heat method. this makes it popular in low-cost cooking. cuts having a certain amount of marbling and gelatinous connective tissue give moist, juicy stews, while lean meat may easily become dry. stews are thickened by reduction or with flour, either by coating pieces of meat with flour before searing, or by using a roux or beurre manié, a dough consisting of equal parts of fat and flour. thickeners like cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot may also be used. stews are similar to soups, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two. generally, stews have less liquid than soups, are much thicker and require longer cooking over low heat. while soups are almost always served in a bowl, stews may be thick enough to be served on a plate with the gravy as a sauce over the solid ingredients.

Main

Stewed oysters

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tapalapa

A baguette (; french: [baɡɛt] (listen)) is a long, thin type of bread of french origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by french law). it is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust. a baguette has a diameter of about 5 to 6 centimetres (2–2+1⁄2 inches) and a usual length of about 65 cm (26 in), although a baguette can be up to 1 m (39 in) long. in november 2018, documentation surrounding the "craftsmanship and culture" on making this bread was added to the french ministry of culture's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. in may 2021, france submitted the baguette for unesco heritage status.

Breakfast

Tapalapa

A baguette (; french: [baɡɛt] (listen)) is a long, thin type of bread of french origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by french law). it is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust. a baguette has a diameter of about 5 to 6 centimetres (2–2+1⁄2 inches) and a usual length of about 65 cm (26 in), although a baguette can be up to 1 m (39 in) long. in november 2018, documentation surrounding the "craftsmanship and culture" on making this bread was added to the french ministry of culture's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. in may 2021, france submitted the baguette for unesco heritage status.

Breakfast

Thiakry

Thiakry (also spelled thiacry or chakery) or degue is a sweet millet couscous dish originating in senegal. the wheat or millet granules are mixed with milk, sweetened condensed milk, or yogurt, as well as dried fruit such as raisins, desiccated coconut, and spices such as nutmeg.

Dessert, Sweet

Thiakry

Thiakry (also spelled thiacry or chakery) or degue is a sweet millet couscous dish originating in senegal. the wheat or millet granules are mixed with milk, sweetened condensed milk, or yogurt, as well as dried fruit such as raisins, desiccated coconut, and spices such as nutmeg.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Vegetables

Black-eyed peas, cabbage, carrots, cassava, chili peppers, eggplant, onions, pumpkins, tomatoes

Drink

Wonjo

Juice made from dried hibiscus flowers

Main

Yassa

Yassa is a spicy dish prepared with onions and either marinated poultry or marinated fish. originally from senegal, yassa has become popular throughout west africa. chicken yassa (known as yassa au poulet), prepared with onions, lemon or mustard, is a specialty from the casamance region in the south of senegal. other meats used for yassa are lamb and fish.

Breakfast

Yogurt

Yogurt (uk: ; us: , from turkish: yoğurmak, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. the bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. cow's milk is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks are also used to produce yogurt. the milk used may be homogenized or not. it may be pasteurized or raw. each type of milk produces substantially different results. yogurt is produced using a culture of lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. in addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. some countries require yogurt to contain a specific amount of colony-forming units (cfu) of bacteria; in china, for example, the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1 million cfu per milliliter.to produce yogurt, milk is first heated, usually to about 85 °c (185 °f), to denature the milk proteins so that they do not form curds. after heating, the milk is allowed to cool to about 45 °c (113 °f). the bacterial culture is mixed in, and a warm temperature of 30–45 °c (86–113 °f) is maintained for 4 to 12 hours to allow fermentation to occur, with the higher temperatures working faster but risking a lumpy texture or whey separation.