The Gambian Cookbook

The Gambian Cookbook is a recipe collection rooted in the food traditions of The Gambia, a narrow West African country that follows the course of the Gambia River and is surrounded on three sides by Senegal. Authors Michele Daryanani and Shakhil Shah grew up in The Gambia and shaped their cooking around the dishes they encountered through family and friends during those early years. The book gathers recipes they describe as typical of Gambian home cooking alongside personal favourites developed over time.

The Gambia is sometimes called the smiling coast, a nickname tied to its short Atlantic coastline and the reputation of its people for warmth toward visitors. Its cuisine draws on West African staples such as rice, fish, groundnuts (peanuts), and palm oil, combined in stews, grilled dishes, and one-pot meals that reflect both local agriculture and the country's position along historic trade routes. The cookbook aims to make these dishes accessible to readers elsewhere in the world, offering a window into a kitchen tradition that remains relatively underrepresented in published cookbooks. By compiling recipes from multiple families, the authors present a broader picture of everyday Gambian food rather than the perspective of a single household.