Gambian Cuisine

foods & DRINKS

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Nan Mburu

Nan Mburu is a special Gambian dessert that is traditionally prepared on Good Friday, picnics, birthday parties, and sometimes in ceremonies. Almost all Christians in The Gambia prepare Nan Mburu to share with their friends and neighbours. It is also sold by street vendors and served in restaurants.
Nan Mburu is a cross between a pudding and a porridge and is made with baobab pulp, rice flour and sugar with optional ingredients such as essences, nutmeg, milk, fruit, raisins and coconut flour.

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Afra

Afra is a popular Gambian street food. It is made by sauteing pieces of meat or chicken with mustard and onions. It is best served with a fresh baguette and a side of mustard! Normally this is made on a grill but you can make this on the stove, in the oven or the instant pot.
It is a very popular evening meal and you will find vendors with their grills, searing delicious meats. Lamb is a popular choice but other meats are also used including bush meats. Afra is served in a paper bag to soak up all the extra drippings from the meat.

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Benachin

Benachin is one of the most favourite of the typical Gambian dishes. Benachin in Wollof means one pot, which tells us the whole recipe is prepared in a single pot. It is fried rice and can be made in red and white variations, red being done with tomato paste. It can be prepared with chicken or fish, beef or even without any meat. The choice of topping vegetables depends on the season or preference of the cook. No event is complete without Benachin - it is made for naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals, etc.

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Attaya

In The Gambia, attaya is so much more than just tea. It has a strong social meaning, especially in the male society.
Brewing attaya is part of a daily social life that connects people of different ethnic groups, families, backgrounds and nationalities. When people sit down to chat, they usually brew attaya to keep them busy. People brew attaya everywhere; in the streets, workplaces, homes, etc.
The older and important people are always offered the first cup since this is a sign of respect. The first round served is called lewal, and it's the strongest one. Usually, it is followed by the second round brewed from the same pack of attaya and half the sugar. The third round is the weakest, and not everybody brews it. The attaya gradually loses its colour and strength with each successive serving.

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Baobab

In The Gambia, baobab is popularly called Sitou in Mandinka and Bouyi in Wollof. It has pale brown fibre seeds, which can be used to produce non-alcoholic juice, which is very popular in the Gambia. A drink you will often see offered in The Gambia is wonjo-baobab, whereby the thick baobab juice is layered beneath the fruity red hibiscus infusion called wonjo.
Baobab juice is normally prepared by soaking the floppy brown fibre in water and then squeezing it well to remove the extract from the seeds. The liquid is then strained, and the whole process is repeated until only dark brown seeds remain in the sieve.

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Yassa

Yassa is one of The Gambia's most common and simple-to-make dishes. Its main ingredients are rice, chicken/meat/fish and onions. Like any other dish, Yassa can be cooked in various ways with a choice of meats and spices, of which the hot pepper is a must.
Yassa is a marinade of lemon, oil, onion and mustard and is usually served with rice or couscous, as well as various vegetables.