Mali

🇲🇱Mali

Alfintà

Malian millet fritters cooked in a shallow pan until browned and crisp.

🇲🇱Mali

Bean Fritters

Beignet de haricots

Bean fritters sold as street food in Mali; listed in the Mali tourism document alongside brochettes and froufrou; black-eyed peas are soaked, ground, seasoned, and deep-fried; a popular, inexpensive snack; similar to akara across West Africa; found at street stalls in Bamako and other cities; the breakfast of urban Mali.

🇲🇱Mali

Calabash Nutmeg

Muscade de calebasse

Calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica), a West African spice; listed in What The World Eats as a core spice of Mali; the seeds are grated and used to season soups, stews, and sauces; has a nutmeg-like flavor but more pungent; a traditional West African spice; used in soumbala-based sauces; the nutmeg of West Africa.

🇲🇱Mali

Chicken Yassa

Poulet yassa

A Senegalese dish widely eaten in Mali; chicken marinated in lemon, onions, and mustard, then grilled and simmered in the marinade; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine as a popular dish; the Malian version may differ slightly in seasoning; served with rice

🇲🇱Mali

Dibi

Lamb cut on the bone and grilled over wood in a dedicated dibiterie, then served on paper with raw onion, mustard and chilli.

🇲🇱Mali

Djenné Rice Cakes

Galettes de Riz de Djenné

Thin rice cakes associated with Djenné, cooked on a hot surface for a crisp-edged street snack.

🇲🇱Mali

Dogon Somé

A Dogon (Mali) dish of millet couscous or porridge, often served with a peanut or okra sauce.

🇧🇫Burkina Faso

Dolo

Traditional sorghum or millet beer brewed by women (dolotières); served in calabashes; sometimes called 'Faso Lipton'; the social drink of ceremonies and markets.

🇲🇱Mali

Fari

Steamed and fried white-bean fritters from a Malian family tradition.

🇲🇱Mali

Fermented Néré Seeds

Soumbala

A fermented condiment made from néré (African locust bean) seeds; a key flavoring in Malian and West African cuisine; the seeds are boiled, fermented, and dried; used to season sauces, stews, and soups; has a pungent, umami flavor; listed in What The World Eats as a core condiment of Mali; the Maggi cube of traditional Malian cooking.

🇲🇱Mali

Fonde

Fondé

A Malian millet porridge eaten for breakfast; also commonly eaten in Senegal; millet flour is cooked with water or milk and sweetened with sugar; a nutritious, filling start to the day; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine as a common breakfast staple; a simple, comforting dish; the breakfast of rural and urban Mali alike.

🇨🇮Côte d'Ivoire

Foutou

Boiled plantain and cassava, or yam alone, pounded together in a wooden mortar with a long pestle until smooth and elastic, then shaped into a ball.

🇱🇷Liberia

Fufu

Akpu

Cassava soaked for days until it ferments, then pounded or wrapped and steamed into a soft, sour white swallow.

🇬🇭Ghana

Ghanaian Jollof

Jollof

Long-grain aromatic rice cooked in a reduced tomato, onion, ginger and scotch bonnet stock until the grains take the colour of the sauce.

🇨🇮Côte d'Ivoire

Ginger Juice

Gnamakoudji

Pounded ginger squeezed through cloth and sweetened, sometimes with pineapple and vanilla, sold frozen in plastic sachets.

🇨🇲Cameroon

Ginger Juice

Jus de gingembre

Raw ginger blitzed with water, lemon and sugar and strained into a fierce, throat-burning cold drink.

🇲🇱Mali

Grains of Paradise

Grains de paradis

Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta), a West African spice; listed in What The World Eats as a core spice of Mali; related to cardamom; used to season sauces, stews, and grilled meats; has a pungent, peppery flavor with hints of citrus; a traditional West African spice; the pepper of the Mali Empire.

🇬🇭Ghana

Grilled Tilapia

Tilapia

Whole tilapia scored, rubbed with ginger, garlic and pepper and grilled over charcoal, served with banku and hot pepper sauce.

🇬🇲The Gambia

Hibiscus Juice

Bissap

Dried hibiscus calyces steeped with sugar, mint and sometimes orange-blossom water into a deep red drink served ice-cold.

🇲🇱Mali

La Capitaine Sangha

Capitaine Sangha

Grilled Nile perch (capitaine) from the Niger River; a traditional Malian seafood dish; the fish is grilled whole and served with fried plantains, rice, and a spicy chili sauce; Nile perch is prized for its moist, medium-firm texture and mild flavor; a specialty of the Niger River region; a flavorful and filling meal.

🇲🇱Mali

Lamb in Herb Sauce

Fakoye

A traditional Malian dish of lamb in herb sauce; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; the sauce is made from a blend of local herbs and spices; a specialty of the Gao region in northern Mali; locals say it 'washes your blood'; served over rice or millet; a deeply traditional dish with medicinal associations.

🇬🇲The Gambia

Maafe

Sauce d'arachide

Beef, lamb or chicken stewed in a groundnut paste and tomato sauce with cassava, carrot and sweet potato, served over rice.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Chicken Stew

Poulet kedjennou

A Malian chicken stew cooked with vegetables; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; chicken is simmered with tomatoes, onions, and vegetables in a rich, spiced sauce; a comforting, hearty dish; served over rice; a popular lunch dish; the Malian take on chicken stew, distinct from yassa or tigadeguena.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Couscous

Couscous

Malian couscous made from millet or sorghum; steamed and served with meat, vegetable, or peanut sauces; the Mali tourism document notes that millet couscous has an exquisite flavor; different from North African couscous which uses wheat; a staple dish across Mali; served at celebrations and family meals; the couscous of the Sahel.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Fried Pancakes

Maasa

Traditional Malian deep-fried pancakes or flatbreads made with rice or millet flour; the dough is fermented slightly, then fried until golden; sweetened with sugar and flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, or vanilla; a popular snack and breakfast item; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; similar to puff-puff but with a distinctive Malian flavor.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Fried Snack

Froufrou

A Malian street food snack listed in the Mali tourism document; sold at street corners alongside brochettes, bean beignets, and grilled peanuts; the exact preparation varies by region; a quick, inexpensive snack; part of the vibrant street food culture of Mali; found at street stalls in Bamako and other cities.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Grilled Meat

Dibi

Grilled meat brochettes popular across Mali; the Senegalese dibi is also widely eaten in Mali; typically lamb or beef, marinated and grilled over charcoal; served with mustard sauce, onions, and bread; a popular street food and restaurant dish; the Malian version of the West African grilled meat tradition; found at every street corner.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Puff Puff

Mikate

A popular Malian street food of deep-fried dough balls; flour, sugar, and yeast dough fried until golden brown; dusted with powdered sugar and served hot; widely available across Mali; an inexpensive snack; similar to puff-puff across West Africa; the Malian version of this beloved fried treat.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Spaghetti

Katta pasta

A Malian spaghetti dish prepared with tomato sauce, vegetables, and meat; reflects Mali's colonial history and French influence; spaghetti is adapted to Malian tastes with spicy tomato sauce and local vegetables; widely available at restaurants and food markets; a fusion of African and European cuisine; a popular lunch dish.

🇸🇱Sierra Leone

Malian Tamarind

Tamarin

A sweet-sour Sierra Leonean tamarind drink made by soaking tamarind pulp in water and flavouring it with sugar, cinnamon, honey, and sometimes a pinch of cayenne; sold as pulp in small bags to mix at home or ready to drink.

🇲🇱Mali

Malian Tea

Ataya

Sweet green tea prepared in three rounds across Mali and the Sahel; brewed in a small teapot with sugar and mint; poured back and forth to create foam; the three rounds have names and meanings — the first is bitter like death, the second mild like life, the third sweet like love; a social ritual central to Malian hospitality.

🇲🇱Mali

Mashed Plantain

Foutou banane

A Malian dish of mashed plantains; a staple that has spread beyond Mali to other West African countries; believed to have originated from Ivory Coast; plantains are boiled and pounded into a smooth, thick paste; served with sauces; high in vitamins and minerals; a filling and nutritious dish; popular in southern Mali.

🇲🇱Mali

Meat and Baobab in Peanut Sauce

Naboulou

A Malian dish of meat with baobab leaves in peanut sauce; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; baobab leaves are a key ingredient in Malian cooking, used in sauces across the country; the combination of peanut and baobab leaf creates a rich, earthy, and nutritious sauce; served over tô or rice; a traditional dish.

🇲🇱Mali

Meat in Bean Leaf Sauce

N'gougouna

A Malian dish of meat in bean leaf sauce; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; bean leaves are foraged and used as a sauce base; the leaves are cooked down with onions, tomatoes, and spices; a traditional dish that reflects the use of wild and cultivated greens in Malian cuisine; served over tô or rice.

🇲🇱Mali

Meat in Onion Sauce

Diabadji

A Malian dish of meat in onion sauce; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; onions are caramelized and simmered with meat to create a sweet, rich sauce; similar to Senegalese yassa but with Malian seasoning; served over rice or tô; a comforting, everyday dish; the sweetness of the onions is the tell.

🇲🇱Mali

Meat in Sweet Potato Leaf Sauce

Saga saga

A Malian dish of meat in sweet potato leaf sauce; listed in Wikipedia's Malian cuisine; sweet potato leaves are a common sauce base in Mali; the leaves are cooked with onions, tomatoes, and sometimes peanut; a nutritious, green sauce served over tô or rice; a traditional dish that uses every part of the sweet potato plant.