[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":344},["ShallowReactive",2],{"country:senegal":3,"feed:country:senegal":44,"links:country:senegal":291,"country:musttry:senegal":320},{"slug":4,"name":5,"nativeName":6,"iso2":7,"continent":8,"subregion":9,"cuisineIntro":10,"cuisineDeepDive":11,"signatureIngredients":12,"eatingCustoms":23,"mustTrySlugs":24,"regions":28,"heroImage":41},"senegal","Senegal","Sénégal","sn","Africa","West Africa","Senegalese cooking runs on one organising idea: build a deeply seasoned sauce first, then cook the starch in that sauce so nothing is wasted and everything on the plate tastes of the same pot. The country sits where the Sahel meets the Atlantic, and both show up at lunch — millet, cowpeas and groundnuts from the dry interior, and an extraordinary quantity of fish from a coastline that has fed Saint-Louis and Dakar for centuries. Three flavour anchors recur across almost every savoury dish: onions cooked far past sweetness until they collapse, fermented seasonings that supply the savoury backbone, and a deliberate sour note from tamarind, lime or lemon. Chilli is present but usually kept whole in the pot or served on the side, so the food reads as fragrant and layered rather than hot. French bread, mustard and stock cubes arrived with colonisation and were absorbed without apology; Senegalese cooks treat them as local ingredients now, because after a century and a half they are.","Rice is the axis of the Senegalese table, and not just any rice — riz brisé, the broken grains that arrived through colonial trade and stayed because cooks came to prefer them. Broken rice drinks up sauce in a way whole grains resist, which is exactly what a ceeb dish demands: the grain is never boiled in plain water but finished in the broth left behind by the fish or meat. Every ceeb follows the same architecture — cook the protein and vegetables in a heavily reduced onion-and-tomato base, lift them out, then cook the rice in what remains until the pot is dry and the bottom layer has caught into a toasted crust. That crust, xoon, is fought over.\n\nThe savoury backbone comes from fermentation. Nététou, the fermented seeds of the néré tree, goes in as pea-sized lumps that smell aggressive in the jar and turn round and meaty in the pot. Guedj is dried fermented fish, used as a seasoning rather than a protein, and yet — fermented sea snail — does a similar job with a sharper, muskier edge. Fresh aromatics arrive as pastes: rof, a green pounded mix of parsley, garlic, scallion and chilli that is stuffed into slashes cut in whole fish, and nokoss, the all-purpose onion, garlic and pepper paste many households keep a jar of in the fridge.\n\nFats carry the regional signature. Groundnut oil and thick unsweetened groundnut paste come from the peanut basin and give mafé its weight. Red palm oil, unrefined and deeply orange, is the mark of southern and coastal cooking and turns okra stew glossy. Sourness is never an afterthought: tamarind pulp in the fish broth, lemon by the litre in yassa, lime squeezed over fried fish and turnovers. That acid is what keeps rich, oily food from going heavy, and its absence is the most common fault in a home version.\n\nBeyond rice, the grain map is millet. Steamed millet couscous — thiéré, finer and darker than semolina — carries lamb and vegetables at celebrations, and the same grain shows up sweetened in yoghurt for dessert or loosened into breakfast porridge. Mornings, though, mostly belong to the baguette: split and filled with bean stew, fried egg or leftover sauce, eaten standing up on the way to work. Street food follows the same logic of frying and folding — fataya turnovers, grilled meat at a dibiterie, fried fish and chips of cassava.\n\nRegional differences are real but gentle. The north around Saint-Louis is the fish-and-rice heartland; Casamance in the humid south leans on palm oil, seafood and the lemon-mustard yassa method; the peanut basin around Kaolack sends groundnut paste to the entire country; and the Fulani herding areas of the Fouta contribute soured milk and dairy in a cuisine that is otherwise almost dairy-free.",[13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22],"broken rice","groundnut paste","red palm oil","nététou (fermented locust bean)","guedj (dried fermented fish)","tamarind","onions","lemon and lime","millet","scotch bonnet chilli","Lunch is the main meal and it is communal: one wide bowl set on a mat, everyone seated around it, each person eating the wedge directly in front of them and never reaching across. The host or the eldest breaks up the fish and meat and pushes pieces outward towards the others, and taking the best cut for yourself is the clearest breach of manners there is. Most people eat with the right hand, pressing rice into a ball against the palm; spoons are common in cities and carry no stigma. Guests are added to the bowl rather than announced in advance, which is what teranga, the Senegalese idea of hospitality, means in practice. Afterwards comes ataya, strong green tea brewed and poured three times, each round sweeter and shorter than the one before it.",[25,26,27],"senegalese-thieboudienne","senegalese-poulet-yassa","senegalese-mafe",[29,32,35,38],{"name":30,"description":31},"Saint-Louis and the Senegal River","The old colonial capital at the river mouth, and the acknowledged birthplace of thieboudienne. Cooking here is fish-first, sour with tamarind, and precise about how rice is finished in the broth.",{"name":33,"description":34},"Dakar and the Petite Côte","The peninsula where Atlantic landings meet city appetite: grilled fish at Soumbédioune, dibiteries smoking after dark, and a baguette-and-bean breakfast culture that belongs to no other part of the country.",{"name":36,"description":37},"Casamance","Green, humid and cut off from the rest of Senegal by Gambia. Red palm oil, okra, oysters from the mangroves and the lemon-and-onion yassa method that spread from here to the rest of West Africa.",{"name":39,"description":40},"The Peanut Basin and Sine-Saloum","Groundnut country around Kaolack and Fatick, the source of the paste that thickens mafé, plus millet fields that feed the couscous and porridge side of the cuisine.",{"src":42,"alt":43},"\u002Fimages\u002Fcountries\u002Fsenegal.jpg","Senegalese kitchen staples laid out together — broken rice, groundnut paste, dried hibiscus, limes and red palm oil",{"items":45,"total":52,"page":288,"limit":289,"hasMore":290},[46,80,108,131,157,179,200,223,245,266],{"slug":47,"title":48,"nativeName":49,"countrySlug":4,"region":50,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":52,"cookMinutes":53,"restMinutes":54,"difficulty":55,"course":56,"diet":58,"mainIngredients":64,"images":67,"keywords":71,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"bissap","Bissap (Senegalese Hibiscus Iced Drink)","Bissap","Dakar",6,10,15,90,"easy",[57],"drink",[59,60,61,62,63],"vegetarian","vegan","gluten-free","dairy-free","nut-free",[65,66],"mint","lime",[68],{"src":69,"alt":70},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbissap\u002Fhero.svg","Tall glass of deep ruby hibiscus drink over ice with a mint sprig, jug of the same drink behind it",[47,72,73,74,75,76,77],"hibiscus drink","sorrel","flor de jamaica","senegalese drink","iced tea","caffeine-free","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"slug":81,"title":82,"nativeName":83,"countrySlug":4,"region":50,"baseServings":84,"prepMinutes":85,"cookMinutes":86,"restMinutes":87,"difficulty":55,"course":88,"diet":91,"mainIngredients":93,"images":97,"keywords":101,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"dibi","Dibi (Senegalese Charcoal-Grilled Lamb with Onions)","Dibi",4,20,30,120,[89,90],"street-food","main",[62,92],"halal-friendly",[94,95,96],"lamb","onion","lemon",[98],{"src":99,"alt":100},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fdibi\u002Fhero.svg","Chopped charred lamb pieces on paper covered with pale softened onions, torn baguette beside the tray",[81,102,103,104,105,106,107],"dibiterie","grilled lamb","senegalese barbecue","charcoal lamb","mustard onions","street food",{"slug":109,"title":110,"nativeName":111,"countrySlug":4,"region":50,"baseServings":84,"prepMinutes":112,"cookMinutes":86,"restMinutes":86,"difficulty":113,"course":114,"diet":116,"mainIngredients":118,"images":121,"keywords":125,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"fataya","Fataya (Senegalese Fried Fish Turnovers)","Fataya",45,"medium",[89,115],"snack",[117,62],"pescatarian",[119,120,95,66],"white-fish","flour",[122],{"src":123,"alt":124},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ffataya\u002Fhero.svg","Golden fork-crimped half-moon pastries stacked on a plate beside a bowl of raw onion and chilli lime sauce",[109,126,127,128,129,130],"fish turnover","senegalese pastry","kaani sauce","west african street food","fried snack",{"slug":27,"title":132,"nativeName":133,"countrySlug":4,"region":134,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":135,"cookMinutes":136,"difficulty":113,"course":137,"diet":138,"mainIngredients":139,"images":145,"keywords":149,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"Mafé (Senegalese Peanut Butter Stew)","Maafe","Sine-Saloum",25,100,[90],[62,92],[140,141,142,143,144],"beef-chuck","peanut-butter","cassava","sweet-potato","tomato-paste",[146],{"src":147,"alt":148},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsenegalese-mafe\u002Fhero.svg","Thick rust-orange groundnut stew with chunks of beef, cassava and carrot, oil pooling on the surface, beside white rice",[150,151,152,153,154,155,156],"mafe","maafe","groundnut stew","peanut stew","tigadegena","senegalese beef","west african",{"slug":158,"title":159,"nativeName":160,"countrySlug":4,"region":50,"baseServings":84,"prepMinutes":53,"cookMinutes":161,"restMinutes":162,"difficulty":55,"course":163,"diet":165,"mainIngredients":166,"images":169,"keywords":173,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"ndambe","Ndambé (Senegalese Bean Stew Sandwich)","Ndambe",75,480,[164,89],"breakfast",[59,60,62],[95,167,144,168],"tomato","scotch-bonnet",[170],{"src":171,"alt":172},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fndambe\u002Fhero.svg","Split baguette filled with dark red-brown cowpea stew, scallions scattered over the top, held over paper wrapping",[158,174,175,176,177,178],"bean sandwich","black-eyed peas","senegalese breakfast","dakar street food","vegan west african",{"slug":26,"title":180,"nativeName":181,"countrySlug":4,"region":36,"baseServings":84,"prepMinutes":135,"cookMinutes":182,"restMinutes":183,"difficulty":55,"course":184,"diet":185,"mainIngredients":186,"images":188,"keywords":192,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"Poulet Yassa (Senegalese Lemon and Onion Chicken)","Yassa ginaar",55,240,[90],[62,92],[187,95,96],"chicken",[189],{"src":190,"alt":191},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsenegalese-poulet-yassa\u002Fhero.svg","Browned chicken pieces buried in a tangle of softened golden onions with lemon wedges and white rice alongside",[193,194,195,196,197,198,199],"poulet yassa","yassa chicken","lemon chicken","onion sauce","senegalese","casamance","west african braise",{"slug":201,"title":202,"nativeName":203,"countrySlug":4,"region":36,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":86,"cookMinutes":204,"difficulty":113,"course":205,"diet":207,"mainIngredients":208,"images":212,"keywords":216,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"soupou-kandia","Soupou Kandia (Senegalese Okra and Palm Oil Stew)","Soupu kanja",50,[206,90],"soup",[117,62,61],[209,119,210,211],"okra","shrimp","rice",[213],{"src":214,"alt":215},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsoupou-kandia\u002Fhero.svg","Deep orange okra and palm oil stew with fish pieces and shrimp, ladled over a mound of white rice in a bowl",[217,218,219,220,221,222],"soupou kandia","okra stew","palm oil","senegalese seafood","west african okra","soupu kanja",{"slug":224,"title":225,"nativeName":226,"countrySlug":4,"region":50,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":53,"cookMinutes":135,"restMinutes":87,"difficulty":55,"course":227,"diet":229,"mainIngredients":230,"images":234,"keywords":238,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"thiakry","Thiakry (Senegalese Millet Couscous Yogurt Dessert)","Caakiri",[228],"dessert",[59,61,63],[21,231,232,233],"yogurt","condensed-milk","nutmeg",[235],{"src":236,"alt":237},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fthiakry\u002Fhero.svg","Glass of thick pale millet and yoghurt dessert speckled with grated nutmeg, a long spoon resting inside",[224,239,240,241,242,243,244],"caakiri","degue","millet dessert","yogurt pudding","senegalese sweet","no-bake",{"slug":25,"title":246,"nativeName":247,"romanized":248,"countrySlug":4,"region":249,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":250,"cookMinutes":136,"difficulty":251,"course":252,"diet":253,"mainIngredients":254,"images":256,"keywords":260,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"Thieboudienne (Senegalese Fish and Broken Rice)","Ceebu jën","Ceebu jen","Saint-Louis",40,"hard",[90],[117,62],[119,211,142,255,18],"cabbage",[257],{"src":258,"alt":259},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsenegalese-thieboudienne\u002Fhero.svg","Platter of orange broken rice topped with fish steaks, cassava, carrot and cabbage wedges with a whole red chilli",[261,262,263,13,156,264,265],"thieboudienne","ceebu jen","senegalese fish rice","national dish","one pot",{"slug":267,"title":268,"nativeName":269,"countrySlug":4,"region":134,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":86,"cookMinutes":270,"difficulty":113,"course":271,"diet":272,"mainIngredients":273,"images":276,"keywords":280,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},"senegalese-thiere","Thiéré Bassi Salté (Senegalese Millet Couscous with Lamb)","Cere basi salte",95,[90],[62,92],[94,274,255,275],"couscous","carrot",[277],{"src":278,"alt":279},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsenegalese-thiere\u002Fhero.svg","Platter of pale millet couscous hollowed in the centre and filled with lamb, pumpkin, cabbage and carrot in red sauce",[281,282,283,284,285,286,287],"thiere","bassi salte","millet couscous","senegalese lamb","nététou","steamed grain","celebration dish",1,12,false,{"links":292,"total":52},[293,296,298,300,303,306,309,312,315,318],{"slug":47,"title":49,"iso2":294,"minutes":295},"SN",115,{"slug":81,"title":83,"iso2":294,"minutes":297},170,{"slug":109,"title":111,"iso2":294,"minutes":299},105,{"slug":27,"title":301,"iso2":294,"minutes":302},"Mafé",125,{"slug":158,"title":304,"iso2":294,"minutes":305},"Ndambé",570,{"slug":26,"title":307,"iso2":294,"minutes":308},"Poulet Yassa",320,{"slug":201,"title":310,"iso2":294,"minutes":311},"Soupou Kandia",80,{"slug":224,"title":313,"iso2":294,"minutes":314},"Thiakry",160,{"slug":25,"title":316,"iso2":294,"minutes":317},"Thieboudienne",140,{"slug":267,"title":319,"iso2":294,"minutes":302},"Thiéré Bassi Salté",{"items":321,"total":343,"page":288,"limit":343,"hasMore":290},[322,329,336],{"slug":25,"title":246,"nativeName":247,"romanized":248,"countrySlug":4,"region":249,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":250,"cookMinutes":136,"difficulty":251,"course":323,"diet":324,"mainIngredients":325,"images":326,"keywords":328,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},[90],[117,62],[119,211,142,255,18],[327],{"src":258,"alt":259},[261,262,263,13,156,264,265],{"slug":26,"title":180,"nativeName":181,"countrySlug":4,"region":36,"baseServings":84,"prepMinutes":135,"cookMinutes":182,"restMinutes":183,"difficulty":55,"course":330,"diet":331,"mainIngredients":332,"images":333,"keywords":335,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},[90],[62,92],[187,95,96],[334],{"src":190,"alt":191},[193,194,195,196,197,198,199],{"slug":27,"title":132,"nativeName":133,"countrySlug":4,"region":134,"baseServings":51,"prepMinutes":135,"cookMinutes":136,"difficulty":113,"course":337,"diet":338,"mainIngredients":339,"images":340,"keywords":342,"publishedAt":78,"updatedAt":78,"authorSlug":79},[90],[62,92],[140,141,142,143,144],[341],{"src":147,"alt":148},[150,151,152,153,154,155,156],3,1787360043898]