Senegal – Poisson Yassa with Green Cape Coast Salad
Senegal holds the crown for being continental Africa’s westernmost country. It is a vibrant and culturally rich nation that is under-explored by modern day travellers. Yet back in ancient and medieval times, long before west Africa was ‘discovered’ by Europeans, the land that would become Senegal was a people magnet because it played a pivotal role in Atlantic Ocean and trans-Saharan trade networks selling gold, salt, hides, ivory, fish and agricultural produce across Africa. In fact, Senegal’s ports, coastline and rivers have supported fishing, farming, and regional trade for over 20 thousand years. From the 15th century onward Portuguese and later French traders colonised Senegal introducing new foods, new ingredients and new culinary techniques that complemented and married with local established African food traditions. This reflects Senegalese cooking’s openness to absorbing useful techniques and condiments (such as French mustard) while still ...
