Banjul Bites: Top 5 Food & Drink You Must Try

So, are you headed to Banjul and starting to get excited thinking of experiences? Well, you certainly should be! It’s such a fascinating city with, like, this totally rich culture, a super friendly vibe, plus some eats that you won’t find just anywhere. This guide will give you the inside scoop on the eats in Banjul, the kind that really get you a taste of this location in West Africa. Get ready to experience tastes that are so unusal. I mean, your trip just wouldn’t be the same without getting your mouth around the most scrumptious dishes that Banjul has to give.

1. Benachin (Jollof Rice): A Gambian Staple

Okay, so first up is Benachin, that is, Jollof Rice, though really, calling it rice honestly doesn’t do it justice. What you’ve actually got here is, in a way, this flavourful rice dish cooked in a crazy vibrant tomato sauce with plenty of fish or maybe beef or chicken. Sometimes it has tasty veggies mixed. In Gambia, this specific version tastes so different, a bit homey, yet really special too, as such a reflection of Gambian generosity. Want to dive even deeper? Try booking into a cooking class where they let you have a go at preparing it for yourself! Believe me, that aroma of all the seasonings blending together as it bubbles away, it’s amazing. Everyone makes Benachin a little bit differently, that might be to suit a specific palate; every home cooks up, really, such its own distinct flavour. The best place to try it is generally from a local family or, similarly to if that isn’t on offer, restaurants more on the traditional side.

2. Domoda: Peanut Butter Stew Goodness

Domoda, you see, is pretty much peanut butter stew; you’ll come across this dish fairly regularly. Domoda is a rich stew that is pretty tasty. As you can tell, it’s so prepared using peanut butter as its base. Meat, actually beef more often than not, joins tasty things like potatoes plus carrots, which, then you leave slowly simmering with a deeply earthy flavour. The result, is that it is rich. Every spoon becomes pretty darn comforting. A little like comfort inside a bowl, you know? You find this served, by the way, across West Africa; you see variations of the recipe pretty much everywhere. Yet, the Gambian type tends to carry this real depth of taste, and so does the warmth. You can experience it just about anywhere that has some local cuisine. It makes an outstanding choice, by the way, for a filling and, like, super comforting meal experience.

3. Yassa: Lemon and Onion Chicken (or Fish!)

Alright, have a crack at Yassa. Commonly this dish is really all about either chicken, or fish, it could be lamb; it’s been so nicely marinated in lemons, with onions as such that taste is soaked up! The recipe features oodles of mustard alongside, like, lots of seasonings too. Then slowly cooking away that marinade in the main ingredients produces an absolutely superb result. That tangy type citrus, so full of flavour and savoury taste working alongside each other means that this really offers satisfaction, certainly so to taste-buds everywhere. Find somewhere where this sits at the menu’s heart; maybe you want one run by a local; as this adds a layer to this local culinary creation, something that is just awesome! With fluffy rice as a support-act this main steals all of that delicious spotlight, which definitely provides anyone wanting an absolutely unforgettable meal-time memory.

4. Baobab Juice: A Taste of the Bush

Looking to refresh with a really specific regional drink? Look no further because there’s Baobab Juice! Made through steeping fruit from a Baobab-tree which delivers all this drink requires – it provides slightly tart and kinda creamy flavours; such combinations can not honestly be compared so easily in the fruit world. The drink gets sold just on roadsides. This thirst quencher tends be filled, literally packed-full of so much Vitamin C, plus there’s those antioxidants too! Locals might well just advise getting one during the sunshine as hydration, also one that comes accompanied some snack somewhere maybe. Baobab’s uniquely delightful drink gives someone insight regarding indigenous foods that this place serves well, by keeping cool while taking care yourself well too while, even better, supporting sustainable-practices, and promoting awareness amongst Gambian natives.

5. Wonjo Juice (Hibiscus): Sweet and Refreshing

Have you given any thought regarding having the Wonjo Juice – in some places they know it from just Hibiscus tea instead! This fruity red creation will give one’s parched palate a welcome quench that tastes pretty fresh. You see Wonjo being crafted directly, steeping sepals or blossoms sourced hibiscus. Its vibrant red color alone causes enough intrigue – one single small drink can deliver benefits packed into the drink – there’re tonnes-worth of Vitamin C- with antioxidant qualities. Found practically inside vendors and marketplace; often there locals blend flavors maybe some citrus such lime orange bringing sweetness up notch- not leaving just little flavor around though- it becomes much greater whole piece contributing delicious refreshment when feeling temperatures getting unbearable across Gambia .