Food · The Gambia · 10 min
A Recipe That Carries a Family History
Video · 10 min
Spoken reading of this record. Original community recordings are released only with the knowledge holders' consent.
The Story
The recipe has never been measured. It is taught by standing beside someone who already knows it.
What makes this version particular is the double roasting of the groundnuts — a step introduced by the family's grandmother when she moved from Brikama to Serrekunda and could no longer buy the paste she trusted.
Food, in this household, is how dates are remembered. Weddings, returns from travel, the year the rains came late — all of them have a version of this dish attached.
Meet the Storyteller
Mariama Sanneh
Serrekunda · Kanifing, The Gambia
Mariama Sanneh cooks for her extended family of nineteen and has taught the recipe to every daughter and son in the household.
Cultural Context
Domoda is a groundnut stew central to Gambian home cooking. Family variations act as informal genealogies, marking migrations and marriages.
Contributor: Recorded by Isatou Bah, Her African Culture Storytelling Lab
Language: Wolof · Consent: Granted · Verification: AI-assisted transcript, human verified
