Traditional Gambian Delicacies

Gambian cooking is based on the combination of natural healthy fruit and vegetables grown locally and the fish, poultry and meat the sea and the land have to offer. The main staple diet has been rice with some sauce.

The Gambia is renowned for its peanut production so it is no surprise that Durango (or Domoda in Wolof), one of the most famous Gambian dishes, is a peanut stew high in protein and nutrients. It can be served with beef, chicken, goat, lamb or fish. Domada Banjul Gambian Food Yassa is mustard, onions and lemon-based sauce which is usually cooked with either chicken or fish. Bennachin, meaning one pot, is the only dish where rice and sauce are cooked together. Soupa Kanja is a delicious sauce based on okra and palm oil served with either rice or fufu (a cooked yam powder-based paste). Afra is a quick “takeaway” street food snack, containing chopped up and grilled meat or chicken served with onions and spicy mustard sauce. For breakfast, black-eyed peas based deep-fried balls called Akra served with a variety of sauces are used as filling in baguettes. A touch of chilli adds extra spiciness to all meals. Apart from carrots, onions, garlic, aubergine, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin local exotic vegetables such as okra, plantain, cassava are used for garnish. Gambians often supplement their diet with fresh local fruits such as mangos, bananas, Kabba, baobab, passion fruit, soursop, oranges, papaya and avocado just to name a few.