Comforting stews and bright flavors: A guide to Harlem’s Senegalese food

Farideh Sadeghin is a chef and video host based in Brooklyn. In this series, she explores New York City neighborhoods through their food and histories.

Le Petit Senegal in Central Harlem has been home to people from Senegal and other West African countries for decades and people told me it has some of the best Senegalese food in the city.

All along 116th Street, you’ll hear Wolof – Senegal’s main language – and French. Senegal was a French colony until 1960, and France’s influence is seen in Senegalese cuisine, creating unique dishes worth seeking out.

The food of Senegal is layered and familiar, with comforting stews, bright flavors, fresh and smoked seafood, charred meats, and grains.

Before I headed to the neighborhood, I read chef Pierre Thiam’s book, “Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl.” According to Thiam, red palm oil (pressed from palm fruit) is essential in Senegalese cooking and is used to add a rich intensity to dishes.

Little Senegal is primarily located around West 116th Street between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and Lenox Avenue.

I headed to the neighborhood on a crisp December day, bundled up and ready to explore as the snow slowly fell but didn’t stick to the ground.

My first stop was Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market, located on 116th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues. As I wandered the open air market, I stopped and chatted with people while checking out the variety of textiles and traditional crafts from Senegal and other West African countries, such as Mali and Gambia. I asked two brothers about their favorite spot for Senegalese food, and they pointed me down the road to Le Baobab Gouygui, a small, bustling restaurant located across Lenox Avenue on 116th Street.

At the counter, I ordered lamb mafé, a thick stew made from groundnuts or peanuts, and bissap juice, which is made from hibiscus flower.

The mafé was spicy and warm, with tender lamb chunks…