Senegalese Cuisine

The Fataaya assembly line

Assalemaleykum!

This Wednesday marked the French/Wolof program's Africa Eats Night, an event in which one of the AFLI programs takes over dinner for the evening. Starting at 9 am, we began prepping and cooking dinner for 70+ people. In our case, we were also surprised by dozens of high school students on a 1-week public health program who joined in on our meal. What's on the menu?

• Ceebu yapp – literally "rice with meat"
• Yassa poulet – chicken with rice and an onion-based sauce
• Bissap – hibiscus tea, which becomes a syrupy sweet hibiscus juice with the addition lots of sugar (also known as Jamaica in the U.S.)
• Fataaya – described to me both as a Senegalese meat pie and "Senegalese empanadas"
• Couscous – although not a Senegalese dish, it is extremely popular in Senegal
• Mixed veggies – just what you expect

The day was easily the most exhausting one I've had since the move-out-pack-and-leave-for-Florida-the-next-morning day I had a month ago. With a shortage of knives, forks, gloves, and many other essential cooking supplies, it was slow moving. But being with the rest of the Senegal crew made the 9-to-7 day all worth it. It's strange to think about how I met all of these people a little under a month ago; it feels like I've known them for months now. But I suppose that's what happens when you spend nearly every waking hour of every day surrounded by the same people, all of you going through the same new experience.

Vieux, one of our professors, mixing the couscous

By the end of the day, we had created a delicious dinner –– impossible without our amazing professors directing us around the kitchen. (Do you think "must know how to cook and instruct students how to cook Senegalese cuisine for 70+ people" was in the job description?) At the dinner, we introduced ourselves and what we had cooked in mixed French and Wolof, then did a very sloppy rendition of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" we had learned in Wolof.

After dinner, I came straight home and passed out. I've felt sluggish the last two days since then, but it's too early to burn out, so I'm trying to take some time this weekend to rest, reset, and recover. Tomorrow, we go on our first "host family visits" to local Senegalese families living in Florida. I'll be going with three other people on my program to the home of Abdoulaye (the Wolof instructor). And next Wednesday, we have our final exam for the first half of the summer program.

So long for now, wish me luck!