Gambian cuisine

Gambian cuisine mainly consists of Mandinka, Wolof, Serer, and Jola food, similar to neighbouring Senegal. Gambian cuisine is part of West African cuisine and includes the culinary practices and traditions of the nation of The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal (the Senegambia region) who share the same history, culture, languages, geography, and people, and their respective borders only being a result of European colonialism. Some dishes originated from modern-day countries of Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, brought in by immigrants from those countries during the British colonial era - brought in by the British. Others came from Mali during the Mali Empire. Most dishes are traditional home-growned dishes within the historical Senegambia region - notably, the present-day countries of Senegal and Gambia, prior to, during, and post the Ghana and Jolof Empires, and the precolonial Kingdoms of Tekrur, Sine, Saloum, Baol, Waalo, Badibu, and Niumi. Common Gambian (or Senegambian) ingredients include fish, rice, peanuts, tomato, black-eyed peas, lemon, cassava, cabbage, potato, pumpkin, garden egg, lettuces, rice, thiere (couscous), corn, findi, onion, chili, and various herbs. Oysters are also a popular food from the River Gambia, and are harvested by Serer women, notably from the Serer-Niominka ethnic group.