What I am about to say may be considered a bit scandalous to anyone who is a real…..Senegophile? Is that even a word? Hell, my once grammatically-sharp brain is now so complètement mélangé with French vocab that I will never again be able to say things in English with complete confidence that they are correct. But I digress! Confession time:
I am not a huge fan of
ceebujeen. There. I said it.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like ceebujeen (in case you have forgotten, this is the national dish of Senegal composed of fish and rice). It has spices, fresh fish, it takes hours to make and then you eat it with only a big spoon as you cluster around a fantastic communal platter that makes for the best kind of shared dining. It’s sympa. But at the same time, ceebujeen is never the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my favorite Senegalese eats.
No, the stuff that I like best is just about everything that you find for sale on the streets.
So it’s mango season here, and they are as sweet as can….no wait. These aren’t mangoes- they’re called
maad. They are the anti-mango. Sour as can be. They are kind of nature’s version of
Warheads. I like maad, but kinda like the ceeb- these are not my favorite things to buy if given the choice.
What I will spring for are these. Glorious, bountiful mangoes. Mango season is arguably better than Christmas season. Chiefly because no obnoxious
Mariah Carey mango music plays on the radio throughout their harvest period.
You can buy mangoes whole, or chopped up and pitted for your snacking convenience. And they’re cheap!
I’m telling you- if you want to know what edible sunshine tastes like, fly yourself to Senegal (or Thailand) and experience a truly ripe mango. I wish I could fill a suitcase with these guys.
The other thing that I love about Senegal’s street cuisine is their coveted peanut and cashew supply. Here you see shelled peanuts, peanuts with the little red jacket still attached, sugar coated peanuts…and of course, the grilled cashews.
I don’t think that there is anywhere you can go in this country where you can’t find a street-side table like this. Fantastique.
Senegal is a land of reclaimed waste. Which kinda means that almost nothing gets thrown away if it offers even a hint of a second (or third) life. Here you see booze bottles that have been washed out and repurposed to contain nuts. And if you’re a good consumer, once you finish with the bottle of peanuts you should return it to your nut lady and she will be grateful to re-recycle this most modestly-priced receptacle.
Someone once told me that Senegal’s peanuts- as tasty as they are- cannot be exported because they contain a trace carcinogen. Much like all of the lore surrounding the secret to Guinness’s particular taste at Saint James’s Gate- I have doubts about the veracity of such a statement. What I can tell you is that Senegalese peanuts are so darn good that I don’t think I will ever look at a Planters peanut and consider it a worthy cousin. Furthermore, I ingest so many other questionable synthetic consumables (Coke Light immediately springs to mind) that I don’t think that excessive peanut consumption will be the thing packing me off to an early grave. I’ll take my chances with this carcinogen silliness. And as you can see from the peanut stand, these guys I can pack up in my suitcase!
Behold the perfect bar activity: tossing handfuls of roasted peanuts back as you stare at an ocean sunset and sip some pastis. Or Flag. Whatever suits your fancy.
So come to Senegal for the ceeb, but stay for everything else that is on offer. Even if you aren’t quite sure what it is (and there is no French or English translation!) You’ll find that this country offers up all kinds of crazy and wonderful tree and ground crops that you’d never find over on our side of the pond. Remember, it was Mr. Bourdain who said that your body is an amusement park, not a temple- so get over here and get sampling!
