In Islamic tradition, which is widely practiced in The Gambia, your right hand is considered your clean hand and your left hand is for personal hygiene. So, if you are eating, shaking hands or exchanging items, you should use your right hand!
Other examples of proper etiquette to practice during mealtimes is avoiding sustained direct eye contact with others, keeping conversation to a minimum, eating only from your section of the bowl directly in front of you and getting up from the bowl immediately after you are finished eating.
My favorite food that I have tried in The Gambia is benachin! It is a fried rice dish often served with meat or fish and lots of vegetables. It’s pretty salty, and if there is hot pepper (kani), it can be very spicy!
I remember being a little nervous to try it. I was worried I might not like the taste or get a stomachache from trying something I never had before, but I really enjoyed it. Now, it’s become one of my favorite dishes!
In one of the local languages, Wolof, benachin actually translates to “one pot.” So, the dish is typically made as such. Usually a fried mixture base is made first with oil, tomatoes, onions and spices. Then, the fish and vegetables are cooked. After they are ready, they are taken out of the oil, and the rice is added last; soaking up the flavor from the spices, meat and vegetables. Finally, a side sauce can be added made from pounded green hibiscus leaves (bissap) -- it’s one of my favorite parts of the dish!
