This blog post has been in the works
for quite some time and I'm sure there is much more I could add, but
I haven't posted anything in a while (sorry about that), so here's a
glimpse into what I've learned about food in Senegal so far. Please
ignore typos and incomplete thoughts – I posted this in a rush.
Before coming to Senegal, I was a
vegetarian. I hadn't eaten fish or red meat by choice in at least
five years. I was a convenience vegetarian, not in the sense of
whether or not being vegetarian was convenient for me but whether or
not it was convenient for others. If everyone else wanted pepperoni
pizza for example, I was fine just picking the pepperoni off or just
eating it if picking it off wasn't appropriate. Last fall, when I was
filling out the information sheet for my future host family, I chose
not to mention being a vegetarian. I decided as I was filling out
that form that my vegetarian-ness was not that important to maintain
while here. I also knew, even at that point, that it is not easy to
be vegetarian in Senegal.
I've eaten fish, beef, chicken, sheep,
and probably several other animals while I've been here. I just don't
ask about the meat. There are dibiteries (butchershops, though
butcher stands is more descriptive) in every neighborhood. There are
a few streets in my neighborhood lined with women cutting and selling
fish. Interspersed between the fish stands are vegetable stands
selling the standard veggies used in Senegalese cuisine: tomatoes,
bitter tomatoes, carrots, something like cabbage, pumpkin, eggplant,
potatoes, and another starchy vegetable. From what I know, these are
the primary places where Senegalese get their produce. Likewise,
there are a few boulangerie stands in every neighborhood which
provide for the baguette needs of the community. Supermarkets are few
and far between, and much smaller than ones back in the states (think
the size of a fast food restaurant). Produce, fish, and bread are
largely absent. Who needs a supermarket when there are boutiques that
have small quantities of pretty much anything you'd need?! Each
family has their “regular” boutique. Parents will send their kids
to the boutique to buy certain things and to teach them about their
involvement in the family.
A few weekends ago, I had a
conversation with Mariam (my host sister) and Laci (the American who
stayed with my host family several years ago and is now living with
her Senegalese husband and teaching English) about eating meat. Laci
is also a vegetarian. While Mariam doesn't particularly like meat,
she couldn't wrap her mind around why Laci and I chose not to eat
meat at all. After mentioning not liking the texture of meat and a
few other things, Laci talked about the difference in proximity to
the animals we eat. Here, it is fairly normal to see sheep around, to
see people selling live chickens, for people to go fishing to catch
dinner. People kill animals themselves for religious celebrations.
I've known of several times this has happened since I've been here,
though thankfully non have happened in my backyard. Animals live good
lives here, and people have respect for the quality of the animal's
life. Contrast that to the commercial meat industry in the US.
One of the biggest differences about
eating here is that many people eat from one large dish (for lunch
and dinner). I LOVE THIS, for the most part! Each person eats from
their figurative “piece of the pie” but the meal is still deeply
communal. The seating situation varies from family to family.
Traditionally, women and men eat in separate areas, sit on a floor
mat with the dish in the middle, and eat with their hands. Cutlery is
overrated, overemphasized, over-idealized in Western culture. My
family eats around a small coffee table, either outside or inside,
depending on the weather. Some of us (usually my dad, brothers, and
I) sit in plastic chairs while any others sit on small wood stools
(my family only has 4-5 chairs). Mariam usually eats separately, and
usually makes a baguette sandwich of whatever the meal is. When my
host mom is home, she is usually the one who prepares the meal. When
she's not, one of my female host cousins who is about my age prepares
the meal. I don't know if they're actually related to my host family,
but my family interacts with them as if they are. It is very common
for Senegalese households to employ a young woman who cooks and
cleans, a “bonne” in french. The kitchen is very much the woman's
domain, and many men don't step foot in the kitchen and often don't
know how to cook.
Another aspect of the meal that is very
much the woman's role (as the mother or hostess) is distributing the
food within the communal dish. Rice is spread throughout the dish but
the fish and veggies (or other meat or appetizing things) are in the
middle. Traditionally
“Neex naa lool!” (It's very
delicious!)
I realize I've gotten this far in the
post and still have yet to describe the food itself.
Breakfast: baguette, butter, tea.
Sometimes chocolate spread.
Lunch (usually between 1:30 and 2:30
pm): always rice, usually with fish, almost always a traditional
Senegalese dish
mafe: white rice
with a peanut based sauce
ceebujin: red-ish
oily rice (due to tomato based sauce) with fish and veggies
(I forgot the
name): brown rice with meat gumbo
Dinner (usually between 8:30 and 9:30
pm): varies: often pasta dish, sometimes rice dish, sometimes
couscous dish, sometimes salad dish (my favorite!!!)
Lunch is the main meal of the day;
dinner is a light meal.
“Kay añ!”(Come,
eat lunch!) My family normally eats lunch rather early. Somedays I
head back to the Baobab Center right after lunch and in doing so, I
see others just beginning to gather themselves for lunch, including
some of the Baobab Center staff. “Kay añ!”
they say to me, genuinely. Lunch is a plentiful meal, and the
mentality of “no ko bokk” (we share it) applies to the meal. It
is not just something to be shared with family but with friends and
anyone who might come by, whether or not you know them). It is an act
of hospitality to share a meal.
“Suur naa!” (I'm full!)
There are still days when my host
family doesn't believe me when I say I'm full. “Lekkal, lekkal”
(eat! Eat!), they ALWAYS say. Again, sharing a meal is an act of
hospitality and it's important that guests are satisfied. The Baobab
Center staff warned us that losing weight while here is seen as a
slight disgrace by the host family.
People generally buy smaller quantities
more frequently. One possible explanation is that higher levels of
poverty means less flexibility with money.
Last week was spring break, and the
other Beloit girls and I traveled to a few villages in the
south-eastern part of Senegal. (I'll blog about it soon.) When we
were asked what we wanted to eat for meals, the locals were
pleasantly surprised that we were way more excited about eating
traditional Senegalese dishes than the more western options like
spaghetti.
Senegalese food is delicious and it has
been an adventure to learn to eat like Senegalese do. I will
certainly be bringing some aspects of the Senegalese attitude toward
food and meals back with me to the states. Look forward to it!
 |
| Oh, we made ceebujin the other weekend. Neex naa looooool! This is an example of one bowl that 5-8 people will sit around and eat together. |
 |
| Fish! |
