With spices displayed in uncovered wooden barrels, grains stored in bins and the smells of unfamiliar foods, this shopping trip will be an excursion, not a chore. But before you get cooking, here's what you need to settle your family in Senegal for the night. Setting the table is easy for this Senegalese meal. A tablecloth or mat to place on the floor and one large bowl are all you need. No utensils, no chairs and no individual plates.
Food is served out of a large communal bowl, which is the focal point of the meal.
Senegalese rarely do things alone, and mealtimes are no exception. Families in Senegal feel particularly attached to both their ancestors and their land. According to folklore, ancestors actually join their families for dinner. To welcome the ancestors to the meal, some families will pour a cup of water on the ground outside of their home to announce that dinner is ready. When the meal is served, families sit around the bowl, which must rest on the floor cloth so that the ancestors can hold it up from below the ground.