Local restaurants offer European—especially English—and Gambian foods. Also, a relatively large Lebanese expat population ensures plenty of hummus and
schwarma. Peanuts (locally called "ground nuts"), rice, seafood and chicken are the basic ingredients in Gambian cooking. Try
jollof rice (rice with meat, tomatoes and palm oil) and
yassa chicken (spicy marinated chicken).
Good French bread and Cornish pastry-type pies can be found throughout the country. Fruits are plentiful, particularly bananas, papayas, mangoes, guavas and avocados. Attaya, a green Chinese tea, is brewed in small teapots and served throughout the day, always in a lengthy brewing process that involves three rounds of drinking and lots of sugar. The local beer, Julbrew, is decent when it's cold, though quality can vary wildly from bottle to bottle.
