Gambia Local Food

Local foods are worth trying. A word of warning, be prepared to eat a bit more than
“just a little spice” – Gambians like their food hot! The food is a melting pot for all the
nations and tribes from the sub-regions who live in harmony and enjoy sharing food
from all cultures. If you interact with local people don‘t be surprised to be invited to a
compound to share a meal as the Gambian culture is very friendly and hospitable. 


Food is always shared, normally a group will eat from one bowl. As a guest you will be offered a spoon and sometimes your own plate! It is said you will not argue with someone
you share a bowl of food with! Fish plays a major part in Gambian cuisine due to the
variety of fish available in both river and sea. Oysters fresh from the creeks make a quick
and easy stew, Ebeh is made from an amazing array of ingredients including smoked fish,
crabs, oysters and fish eggs amongst other things. Benachin meaning “one pot” is the
equivalent of an Italian risotto or a Spanish paella. The beach bars are the best place to
find many of the local tasty dishes. Some are better than others so choose wisely. Some
bars don’t have electricity or running water, so keep this in mind when ordering food!
Nefertiti Beach Bar, Banjul offers a great location with a fresh menu local food and
snacks daily and Kotu Point Beach Bar, Kotu offers a B-B-Q every Saturday lunch time,
join in the fun, come Jamming with Lamin and try your hand at drumming!

Local Drinks
The most popular are Wonjo and Baobab. Wonjo juice is made from the dried red flowers of the Sorrel, which are boiled with sugar to make a refreshing, sweet drink full of Vitamin C. Baobab juice is made from the fruit of the Baobab tree. The fruit is soaked in water, sieved and the seeds extracted. The pulp is then mixed with a little sugar to make the base juice. Other ingredients can be added according to taste; the most popular are milk and coconut, but it is also tasty with mango, papaya or banana – making a thick natural smoothie. Both Wonjo and Baobab are very nutritious, healthy and with a unique flavour. They also make a wonderful cocktail when mixed together.


Great African Secret
Locally people use these drinks as regular source of nutrition, in Europe it had been forgotten. During World War 2 it was given to soldiers in bread to prevent scurvy. Recently rediscovered it is being branded as a superfood of the future. It has been clinically proven that it is a pro-biotic with 5 times more vitamin C than an orange and twice as much more calcium than a glass off milk as well as containing antioxidants and Omega 3-6-9.



Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280

Health Benefits of Baobab

British chefs should start thinking about recipes that make use of the African baobab fruit, after the European Commission gave the green light on the use of its pulp in the UK.


The powdery pulp of the fruit, which is famously used to make the liqueur Amarula, is nutritionally high in vitamin C, calcium, iron and antioxidants, which makes it perfect for use in smoothies, cereal bars, jams and as a fruit filling. Gambians have long used the fruit pulp as a traditional food for pregnant women and children, due to its nutritious content, and is mixed with water to make refreshing drinks and as a baking ingredient.

Baobab as a Super Food contains Sterols saponins and triterpenes. Studies were carried out in the laboratory showed that doses between 400 and 800 mg/kg determine a marked anti-inflammatory effect. 

Baobab as a Super Food contains Thiamine and Riboflavin which optimizes development of the organs for maintaining cellular integrity of the nervous, skin and ocular systems. In addition the presence of epithelia and niacin (vitamin PP or B3) is very important to regulate many metabolic functions.

Furthermore, the fruit contributes to the injection of some essential minerals and essential fatty acids. In fact, 100 g of pulp contains an average of 293 mg of calcium, 2.31 mg of potassium, 96-118 mg of phosphor and alpha-linoleic acid (27 mg of acid per gram of dry product).

Baobab as a Super Food contains Omega 9 which provides protection against cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, skin conditions, depression and other mood related disorders and strokes. Baobab contains a blend of all 3 of the important fatty acids EPA, GLA and OA making it an excellent choice as an omega 3 6 9 supplement.

Baobab as a Super Food contains tannins (astringent), mucilage (wetting), cellulose and citric acid. The particularity of Baobab fruit pulp is that it is effective against diarrhea.

Probiotic products are living microbial food supplements, which beneficially affect the host animal by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial micro flora improving its intestinal microbial balance. Tests carried out by Adesanya et al. (1988) showed that the pulp could be used to treat sickle cell anemia, as it showed considerable antisickling activity. Tannins, mucilage, cellulose, citric acid and other typical constituents of the fruit pulp may be responsible for its effect against diarrhea. 

The soluble fibers of baobab are Symbiotic which combine the prebiotic and probiotic aspects in a single product.

In traditional pharmacopoeia, it is used as an intestinal regulator, prevention and treatment of gastric and IBS disorders, osteoporosis, varicose veins, dysentery, haemoptysis, small pox, measles, hemorrhoids, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, excellent source of dietary fibers, analgesic, hepatoprotective febrifuge anti-diabetic and antipyretic activities.

Contact details and Reservations:

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.

Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!

info@luigiscomplex.com

www.luigis.gm/

Tel +220 4460280

How to make a tastey Baobab Smoothie

Ingredients: 600g baobab fruit pulp1.2l warm water1 tbsp sugar

Add the baobab fruit pulp to a large bowl and add the warm water and sugar. Leave to sit for at least four hours.

During this time the very dry fruit pulp will hydrate and will come away from the seeds and the fibrous matter of the fruit. Stir the mixture vigorously until the water becomes an opaque, tan, liquid.

Strain the resulting juice through cheesecloth or muslin into a jug. Refrigerate the liquid and serve chilled.

Contact details and Reservations:

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!


info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280

A taste of The Gambia

Domada

Domada or Durangoo originates from the Mali, home of the Mandinka tribe and the largest community in The Gambia. The unique flavour of this wonderfully piquant dish comes from the concentrated peanut paste which is produced locally. Whilst Domada is usually made with either beef or a meaty fish such as sakar (tuna) or coujele (captain fish), When cooked with only vegetables; the peanuts are a good source of protein, making a highly nutritious and tasty vegetarian dish.

1. Cut the beef into cubes, or fish into 4 cutlets. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Halve the aubergine, sprinkle with a small amount of salt, and leave on the side to rest to take out the bitterness.

3. Chop the onions and tomatoes.

4. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Leave them whole, or if they are large cut in half.

5. Quarter the cabbage.

6. In a separate bowl, dissolve the peanut paste into the water then pass through a sieve, discarding any husks left in the sieve.

7. Make a stock in a large pan by adding together the tomato paste, lemon juice, stock cube and sieved peanut paste.

8. Add the meat of fish, and vegetables.

9. Cover, cook slowly, and leave to simmer for 2 hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Domada is usually served with boiled white rice.

Ingredients to serve 4

Preparation time 30mins Cooking time 2hrs

500g stewing beef or 800g fish cutlets
Salt and pepper to season
1 aubergine
4 small/medium onions
100g fresh tomatoes
250g potatoes
250g carrots
1 medium cabbage
250g peanut paste
2 litres water
100g tomato paste
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 stock cube
1 teaspoon chilli sauce
1 Kilo of Boiled white rice to serve

Contact details and Reservations

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian apartments, self-catering apartments, serviced flats, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.

Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!

info@luigiscomplex.com

www.luigis.gm/

Tel +220 4460280