Must-try vegetarian Senegalese snacks
What's the story
Senegalese cuisine is a riot of flavors and textures. It offers a delightful range of vegetarian snacks that will make any flavor aficionado fall in love with them.
Not just are these snacks delicious, but they also exhibit Senegal's rich cultural heritage.
From savory fritters to sweet treats, these vegetarian Senegalese snacks give you a taste of the country's culinary diversity.
Here are 5 must-try ones.
Crispy Treat
Savory accra: A crispy delight
Accra is a well-known Senegalese snack made from black-eyed peas or beans.
The fritters are seasoned with spices and herbs, before being deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.
They deliver a satisfying crunch with every bite and can be savored as an appetizer or street food snack.
Accra is commonly served with spicy sauces or dips, giving an extra dimension of flavor to this treat.
Sweet indulgence
Thiacry: Sweet millet dessert
Thiacry is a traditional Senegalese dessert of millet couscous mixed with yogurt or milk, sugar, and sometimes with dried fruits like raisins.
This sweet dish has a creamy texture and a subtle sweetness that makes it ideal for dessert lovers.
Thiacry can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature, making it suitable for different occasions.
Nutty flavor
Ngalakh: Peanut butter porridge
This is yet another beloved Senegalese snack that consists of millet flour, mixed with peanut butter paste, sugar, and occasionally, baobab fruit pulp for a tangy twist.
This porridge-like dish has an incredibly rich nutty flavor, ideal for anyone who enjoys the taste of peanuts mixed with other flavors.
It can be eaten warm or cold based on preference.
Spicy bite
Fataya: Spiced pastry pockets
Fataya are basically small pastry pockets filled with spiced vegetables like onions, peppers, carrots, and potatoes.
They're fried till they're golden brown on the outside but remain soft on the inside.
That's because the moisture content of their filling mixture during the cooking process ensures they stay juicy even after frying them up.
These savory pastries make great finger foods at parties, too!