Characteristic products
Agriculture is only possible in the extreme south of the country, especially along the border with Senegal. However, vegetables, starches and cereals remain important in the local cuisine. Millet, sorghum, rice and corn are combined with various vegetables and tubers: cabbage, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, dried beans, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, etc. Also noteworthy is okra, a green vegetable similar to a chili pepper but with a slight taste of zucchini. Mauritanian cuisine makes moderate use of spices and aromatics such as garlic, parsley, pepper, chili - in small quantities - and of course bouillon-cube, a condiment that is abundant in West Africa.
The date palm is one of the few plants that grows spontaneously in these sun-drenched regions, although it obviously thrives more easily near oases. Dates, harvested on the occasion of the Guetna festival, are eaten fresh in abundance. The rest is stored in bags and transformed into paste or dried. The Guetna runs from about mid-July to the end of August. The locals go to the palm groves to buy dates, sometimes in impressive quantities. It is a generally festive period: people prepare mechouis, drink tea, while participating in the harvest. The fruits are put to dry on the roofs of the huts which are themselves made with the palms of the date tree. The locals can then eat them all year round.
Dromedary meat and milk, rich in vitamin C, are highly appreciated by Mauritanians. Goat, sheep and lamb meat are also very popular, as well as beef - especially zebu - although it is more rare. The meat is eaten fresh, grilled, boiled or sun-dried. Goat's or sheep's milk is also consumed and we should also note the Caravane cheese, made from camel's milk, produced by the company Tiviski. This is a feat when you know that camel milk curdles with great difficulty. Traditionally ostriches and addax, large antelopes living in the Sahara, were hunted, but these have become extremely rare in recent decades.
In Nouadhibou, it is possible to taste all kinds of fish and shellfish in season and for a modest price, including succulent lobsters which were still in their natural environment a few hours before. Indeed, the waters along the Mauritanian coast are very rich in fish. Like the populations of the south, the Moors have learned to appreciate fish and shellfish, which was not the case before.
Islam holds a central place in this almost entirely Muslim country and the religion is followed with great rigor, even rigorism. Pork is obviously banned and alcohol is also largely banned, even if it is possible to find a small selection of alcoholic beverages in the large hotels of the capital, Nouakchott. Ramadan or "fasting" is the fourth pillar of Islam and is followed here with great fervor. Set in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, it depends on the cycles of the moon, so its date changes every year. During the month of Ramadan, every healthy Muslim is supposed to fast from sunrise to sunset. He/she should also refrain from drinking, inhaling substances (perfumes), taking non-essential oral medicines or nutrients and having sexual relations. Only pregnant women, the sick and the elderly are not required to observe the fast. While Ramadan does not normally affect non-Muslims, in reality most restaurants will be closed, even if this means more than copious banquets in the evening.
The paved roads in Mauritania are used by many oxen, dromedaries, donkeys, goats and sheep. Some of them die when hit by a vehicle, but they are not eaten, which may surprise the uninitiated. It is important to know that Muslims only eat meat from animals that have been killed in accordance with certain rules. Among other things, animals whose meat is to be eaten must have their throats slit while quoting the name of Allah. This ritual ensures that the meat is halal ("lawful") and prevents the consumption of meat from animals killed differently.
The classics of Mauritanian cuisine
In the south of the country, the proximity with Senegal offers a cuisine with more "African" influences with more cereals, vegetables, starches and fish, while the center and the north of the country are more influenced by the "Berber" cuisine where meat and dairy products dominate. The most famous specialty, often considered the national dish, is the thieboudienne or tiboudienne. This rice with fish is composed of vegetables (turnips, eggplant, cabbage, manioc) and yets (shellfish). These look like large sea snails. Their fermented and dried flesh, their smell and their very particular taste do not go unnoticed. Another dish originating from Senegal, the yassa chicken is simmered with lemon juice, garlic and onion and is usually served with vegetables and rice. And of course, mahfe, a meat stew cooked in a peanut sauce with okra and tomato, served with rice. Fataye is a tuna or meat stuffed turnover served with a spicy tomato sauce, originally from Senegal where it is also called "pastel".
Mechoui is a whole lamb or mutton cooked for several hours over the coals until it melts. It is a particularly popular holiday dish. Couscous is very popular due to its Arabic influence. In Mauritania, it is called ngommou and is based on millet semolina. It is then garnished with meat simmered with fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers, cabbage, carrots and garlic. Tichtar, a type of sun-dried meat strips, is also worth mentioning. Once made from antelope meat, it is now made from camel or beef. Maru we-llham is a stew of meat, rice and vegetables while bonava is a dish of lamb in sauce with potatoes, flavored with a hint of vinegar.
Desserts and drinks
There are actually very few traditional sweets in Mauritania and the notion of dessert does not really exist. We will eat some dates for example with tea. However, in the big cities, you can find oriental pastries, especially of Moroccan or Algerian inspiration. Imported from China, tea is the national drink that cuts hunger, reduces fatigue and thirst and is excellent for the liver. The tea ceremony is unavoidable and takes place on all occasions and in all places. Although tea has only been present in Mauritania for a short time, since it was only introduced around 1860, it is in serious competition with zrig, the local name for camel milk, the traditional drink of the nomads. When it first appeared in the country, tea was considered the fashionable drink.
Mauritanians can stop whatever activity they are doing to prepare tea, whether they are traveling, in the office or in the car. You will inevitably be invited to taste it. The preparation of tea follows a very precise methodology that can confuse the novice. In fact, this ceremonial, although it may seem a little long, corresponds exactly to the nomadic way of life. The preparation ritual will surprise you with the wood or gas stove, the precise dosage of tea, sugar and mint in a long-damped teapot, and the characteristic glasses.
The extreme skill of the tea maker is also to be observed, a good tea must be transferred many times from the teapot to the glasses in a cascade of liquid sometimes stretching up to a meter. The tea maker must frequently taste the beverage to check the dosage of the different ingredients and must make sure that there is plenty of foam. It's hard to know if the quote is traditional or just for tourists, but it is said that "the first tea is bitter like life, the second sweet like love and the third sweet like death". It refers to the three teas usually served, the third being naturally less strong than the second, itself less strong than the first.
To quench your thirst, water should be consumed with caution (favor bottled water). Sodas called "sweets" are found alongside fruit juices, the most common of which is bissap. This red drink, often presented in small bags, comes from the Guinea sorrel, a member of the hibiscus family. Its dried flowers are brewed and served iced. Very thirst-quenching! Let's also note the baobab juice, slightly acidic with an aftertaste of apple or apricot.
