Eating Etiquette

Breakfast is usually served between 6 and 9 a.m., lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m., and dinner from 8 to 9:30 p.m in Senegal. In traditional households, people eat in age and gender-specific groups. The main course is usually served in large bowls on mats or coffee tables on the floor or ground. Depending on personal preference, the occasion, and the dish, several people eat from the same bowl, using the fingers of the right hand or a spoon.

Children are taught from an early age that they should have clean hands, eat only from the portion of the communal dish directly in front of them, and avoid eye contact with those who are still eating. Senegalese only eat with their right hand, though they may use their left hand when necessary but not to put food into their mouth—for example, fruit may be held in the left hand and peeled with the right. Some urban Senegalese occasionally follow French customs, eating at tables from individual plates with utensils, especially when hosting Western visitors. It is considered impolite to eat while walking down the street.