Food of Mali
Malian cuisine revolves around millet, rice, sorghum and peanut sauces, with fish from the Niger River and slow-simmered stews. Dishes such as tigadegena and maafe come with spiced sauces made from onions, tomatoes and peanut paste. Meals are served in a shared bowl.
Tigadegena
Peanut stew with meat and vegetables.
- Main dishes (7)
- Breakfast (2)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (1)
- Salads (1)
- Desserts and sweets (2)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (4)
Staples
- millet
- rice
- sorghum
- peanuts
- fish
- lamb
Signature flavors
- peanut
- tomato
- onion
- chili
- garlic
- baobab leaf
Main dishes
Peanut stew with meat and vegetables.
Key ingredients: peanuts, chicken, tomato
A traditional dish of Mali made with peanuts, beef, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: peanuts, beefFull guide →A traditional dish of Mali made with millet, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: millet
A traditional dish of Mali made with rice, tomato, meat, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rice, tomato, meatA traditional dish of Mali made with jute leaves, fish, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: jute leaves, fish
A traditional dish of Mali made with chicken, lemon, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: chicken, lemon, onionFull guide →A traditional dish of Mali made with fish, lemon, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: fish, lemonBreakfast
A traditional breakfast dish of Mali made with millet, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: millet, sugarA traditional breakfast dish of Mali made with flour, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flour, sugarStreet food
A traditional street snack of Mali made with beef, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beef, onionA traditional street snack of Mali made with flour, fish, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flour, fishA traditional street snack of Mali made with lamb, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: lambSoups
A traditional soup of Mali made with baobab leaves, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: baobab leavesSalads
A traditional salad of Mali made with cucumber, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cucumber, onionDesserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Mali made with dates, flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: dates, flourA traditional sweet treat of Mali made with millet, yogurt, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: millet, yogurtDrinks
A traditional drink of Mali made with hibiscus, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: hibiscusA traditional drink of Mali made with tamarind, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: tamarindA traditional drink of Mali made with ginger, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: gingerFruits and produce
Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in Mali, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →
Watermelon is a well-loved fruit or crop in Mali, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: watermelonFull guide →Shea fruit is a well-loved fruit or crop in Mali, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: shea
Baobab is a well-loved fruit or crop in Mali, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: baobabDish guides from Mali
Explore Mali on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Western Africa
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cape Verde
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Mafe.malien: Marshiayers, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Plat de riz au gras plus viande: Mandanye, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Poulet Yassa Chicken rice with onion sauce: T.K. Naliaka, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Taiwan 2009 Tainan City Organic Farm Watermelon FRD 7962: Fred Hsu (Wikipedia:User:Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Baobab and elephant, Tanzania: Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
