I have had this dish made by many different people, but my boss makes it the best because she makes sure its not too spicy and the fish has no bones.
Finally, I have tried several different beverages as well. "Taking juice and tea" is an important part of Senegalese culture that happens after the meal. If it is during the day, we drink fruit juices like mango and coconut juice or passion fruit juice. In the evenings we drink tea called attaya which is a mint tea.
I love trying new foods and drinks because it lets you see into another person's culture. I do get nervous when I am eating around the bowl because I don't know if I will like the food or not. Additionally, any time you eat with someone and are finished they always say "lekkal!" which translates to "you, eat!" in Wolof. I do not want to be disrespectful so I always eat a little bit more so that they know I appreciate their hospitality,
Most food is prepared like a soup or stew. The women will cook rice and then in a seperate pot they will cook the meat, vegetables, and water together. Once everything is done they will put the stew on top of the rice and serve it. Snack foods like accara or fataaya are fried using peanut oil. Peanuts are a cash crop in Senegal, so if something is fried or cooked using oil it is usually cooked in peanut oil.
The juices are sometimes hand-squeezed depending on the season. Senegal does not buy a lot of fruits from other countries, so you can only eat or make juice from the fruits that in season.
