Saturday, April 24, 2010

Gambia Restaurants


 No holiday is complete without good food! One of The Gambia’s best kept secret is the vast variety of restaurants. The Gambia is a mixing pot of culinary delights, you will find food from all parts of the world such as Chinese, Indian, Thai. African, Afro-American, Jamaican. British, Italian, French, Lebanese and even Moroccan. Quality speaks for its self so to find the best restaurant ask your Rep for the most well established places to eat:

Kotu and Kololi offer a quieter atmosphere for a more relaxed holiday, fewer bars and restaurants more modest entertainment with a couple of bars with live music playing tracks from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and Karaoke Nights.



Luigi’s Pizza and Pasta House: is located on Palma Rima Rd, Kotu Beach. Renowned for it‘s “Good Food” the menu has a wide selection of Italian and British food. Set on 2 floors, the second floor balcony offers a relaxed atmosphere overlooking the sea. It‘s a great place to watch the sun go down! and on the ground floor is an ideal place for families offering kids menu and play area. Open all day from 8am serving full English breakfast, lunch and evening meals till 11.30pm. Kids meals D125 The Senegambia is the busiest area offering many bars, restaurants and night
clubs. It is one of the best places for people looking for an exciting night life. “The
Senegambia Strip” really comes to life after dark with an array of bars playing live music, karaoke, big screen sports TV and many fast food outlets. 


Cheerz offers a great friendly atmosphere with all that you would expect from a family run business, situated at the top of Senegambia Strip on the High Rd. There are a number of night clubs in the area which play ear-splitting modern music as well as reggae sounds. They normally get going after midnight; the entrance fees are reasonable at all the nightclubs, charging D100/D250 entrance fee. 


The cheaper night clubs are frequented by (Bumpsters) locals youths looking to make “a friend” and tag along, so do go along with someone you know. For the “night owl” Quality Catering are open 24 hours on the corner of the Senegambia Junction for a quick snack after dancing the night away. Always clean and freshly made while you wait!


Local foods are worth trying. A word of warning, be prepared to eat a bit more than “just a little spice” – Gambians like their food hot! The food is a melting pot for all the nations and tribes from the sub-regions who live in harmony and enjoy sharing food from all cultures. If you interact with local people don‘t be surprised to be invited to a compound to share a meal as the Gambian culture is very friendly and hospitable. 

Food is always shared, normally a group will eat from one bowl. As a guest you will be offered a spoon and sometimes your own plate! It is said you will not argue with someone you share a bowl of food with! Fish plays a major part in Gambian cuisine due to the variety of fish available in both river and sea. Oysters fresh from the creeks make a quick and easy stew, Ebeh is made from an amazing array of ingredients including smoked fish, crabs, oysters and fish eggs amongst other things. Benachin meaning “one pot” is the equivalent of an Italian risotto or a Spanish paella. The beach bars are the best place to find many of the local tasty dishes. Some are better than others so choose wisely. Some bars don’t have electricity or running water, so keep this in mind when ordering food!


Nefertiti Beach Bar, Banjul offers a great location with a fresh menu local food and snacks daily and Kotu Point Beach Bar, Kotu offers a B-B-Q every Saturday lunch time, join in the fun, come Jamming with Lamin and try your hand at drumming!


Local Drinks
The most popular are Wonjo and Baobab. Wonjo juice is made from the dried red flowers of the Sorrel, which are boiled with sugar to make a refreshing, sweet drink full of Vitamin C. Baobab juice is made from the fruit of the Baobab tree. The fruit is soaked in water, sieved and the seeds extracted. The pulp is then mixed with a little sugar to make the base juice. Other ingredients can be added according to taste; the most popular are milk and coconut, but it is also tasty with mango, papaya or banana – making a thick natural smoothie. Both Wonjo and Baobab are very nutritious, healthy and with a unique flavour. They also make a wonderful cocktail when mixed together.

Locally people use these drinks as regular source of nutrition, in Europe it had been forgotten. During World War 2 it was given to soldiers in bread to prevent scurvy. Recently rediscovered it is being branded as a super food of the future. It has been clinically proven that it is a pro-biotic with 5 times more vitamin C than an orange and twice as much more calcium than a glass off milk as well as containing antioxidants and Omega 3-6-9.





Our members are involved in Gambian restaurantstoursexcursionseco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.
Please visit our website www.ttag.gm

Friday, April 23, 2010

TTAG Blog


We have created this interactive weblog to help create a better understanding of your holiday destination, to give an insight into its rich history and culture and to let you know what is acceptable in Gambian society and what is not. 


Please spare a few minutes to explore our information portal– especially if this is your first visit. You will find important information along with some interesting stories based on facts and history, and some which stem from legend and personal beliefs … peoples opinions may differ.

Most importantly please remember although the official language in The Gambia is English this does not mean everyone speaks it fluently. As you read on you will learn there are several different tribes, each with their own language. Many children have very little schooling and even less interaction with visitors please be patient with the local people as they won’t all have a good understanding. Speak slowly if someone is having difficulty understanding you. Many people have a habit of saying “YES” when they don’t understand – this is a way of avoiding embarrassment in their culture.

Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.

Please visit our website www.ttag.gm

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Gambian Baobab Hits Europe and U.S.


British chefs should start thinking about recipes that make use of the African baobab fruit, after the European Commission gave the green light on the use of its pulp in the UK.
The powdery pulp of the fruit, which is famously used to make the liqueur Amarula, is nutritionally high in vitamin C, calcium, iron and antioxidants, which makes it perfect for use in smoothies, cereal bars, jams and as a fruit filling. Gambians have long used the fruit pulp as a traditional food for pregnant women and children, due to its nutritious content, and is mixed with water to make refreshing drinks and as a baking ingredient. Baobab as a Super Food contains Sterols saponins and triterpenes. Studies were carried out in the laboratory showed that doses between 400 and 800 mg/kg determine a marked anti-inflammatory effect. 


Baobab as a Super Food contains Thiamine and Riboflavin which optimizes development of the organs for maintaining cellular integrity of the nervous, skin and ocular systems. In addition the presence of epithelia and niacin (vitamin PP or B3) is very important to regulate many metabolic functions.


Furthermore, the fruit contributes to the injection of some essential minerals and essential fatty acids. In fact, 100 g of pulp contains an average of 293 mg of calcium, 2.31 mg of potassium, 96-118 mg of phosphor and alpha-linoleic acid (27 mg of acid per gram of dry product).


Baobab as a Super Food contains Omega 9 which provides protection against cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, skin conditions, depression and other mood related disorders and strokes. Baobab contains a blend of all 3 of the important fatty acids EPA, GLA and OA making it an excellent choice as an omega 3 6 9 supplement.


Baobab as a Super Food contains tannins (astringent), mucilage (wetting), cellulose and citric acid. The particularity of Baobab fruit pulp is that it is effective against diarrhea.

Probiotic products are living microbial food supplements, which beneficially affect the host animal by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial micro flora improving its intestinal microbial balance. Tests carried out by Adesanya et al. (1988) showed that the pulp could be used to treat sickle cell anemia, as it showed considerable antisickling activity. Tannins, mucilage, cellulose, citric acid and other typical constituents of the fruit pulp may be responsible for its effect against diarrhea. The soluble fibers of baobab combine the pre-biotic and pro-biotic aspects in a single product.


In traditional pharmacopoeia, it is used as an intestinal regulator, prevention and treatment of gastric and IBS disorders, osteoporosis, varicose veins, dysentery, haemoptysis, small pox, measles, hemorrhoids, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, excellent source of dietary fibers, analgesic, hepatoprotective febrifuge anti-diabetic and antipyretic activities.

Our members are involved in Gambian restaurantstoursexcursionseco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.

Please visit our website www.ttag.gm