All activities / Culinary / Cooking / Tujereng
Culinary / Cooking in Tujereng
A coastal village south of the resort strip on The Gambia's Atlantic shore, a quiet stretch of fishing communities and gardens, and the home of Yabouy Home Cooking, where visitors learn traditional Gambian dishes in a village compound.
Why here
Gambian food is warm, one-pot and Senegambian at its core, and the best way in is a day cooking it in a village home rather than eating it in a hotel. At Yabouy Home Cooking, the Gambian host Ida Cham Njai welcomes visitors into her compound near Tujereng and turns a meal into a full cultural day. It starts at the Tanji fishing market, buying fish straight off the pirogues and vegetables from the stalls, then moves to the garden kitchen to cook the country's signature dishes, the smoky peanut stew domoda, the one-pot rice benachin of Wolof tradition, and yassa with its onions and lime. You cook, you eat together, you talk and play in the shade, dressed in Gambian cloth. Ida has run this since 2008 after two decades in tourism, and in 2013 she founded the Yabouy charity supporting women in the coastal communities, so the day feeds directly into local livelihoods. It is hands-on, generous and genuine in a way a restaurant never is. For a traveller who learns a place through its kitchen, this is the reason to leave the beach.
Best months
The cooking day runs year-round and is comfortable in any season, though the November to April dry season is the easiest for the market and garden; the rains bring heat and humidity. The experience is a full day, roughly from a mid-morning market visit through cooking to a shared lunch, at a relaxed village pace. It suits all abilities, including complete beginners, and dietary needs can be arranged with notice. Numbers are small and personal. Book ahead, as it is a home-based experience with limited daily capacity.
Getting there & around
Tujereng is about a 30 to 45 minute drive south of the Kololi and Senegambia resort area, and Yabouy arranges pick-up and drop-off from coastal hotels as part of the day. The experience bundles the Tanji market trip, cooking and lunch, so you need only bring an appetite, sun cover and a little cash for extras. Book in advance directly through Yabouy Home Cooking, as it runs from Ida's compound with small numbers. Wear light clothes you can cook in; traditional dress is provided for the day.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (1)
Yabouy Home Cooking
SchoolYabouy Home Cooking is the Gambian home-cooking experience run by Ida Cham Njai, who has hosted visitors in her coastal compound near Tujereng since 2008 after two decades working in Gambian tourism. The day begins at the Tanji fishing market and moves to her garden kitchen to cook signature dishes such as domoda, benachin and yassa, eaten together as a group. In 2013 Ida founded the Yabouy charity supporting women in the surrounding coastal communities.