Food of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leonean cooking is rice-based, with cassava leaves, potato leaves and groundnut soups. Jollof, fufu and plasas are staples, and dishes are cooked with palm oil and hot peppers. Meals are served from a large communal bowl.
Cassava leaves and rice
Staples
- rice
- cassava
- potato leaves
- palm oil
- fish
Signature flavors
- palm oil
- hot pepper
- onion
- dried fish
Main dishes
A traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with cassava leaves, palm oil, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cassava leaves, palm oil
A traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with rice, tomato, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rice, tomatoFull guide →
A traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with potato leaves, palm oil, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: potato leaves, palm oilA traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with peanuts, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: peanuts
A traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with cassava, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cassavaFull guide →
A traditional dish of Sierra Leone made with okra, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: okraBreakfast
A traditional breakfast dish of Sierra Leone made with rice, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rice
A traditional breakfast dish of Sierra Leone made with beans, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beansStreet food
A traditional street snack of Sierra Leone made with plantain, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: plantainA traditional street snack of Sierra Leone made with fish, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: fishDesserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Sierra Leone made with cassava, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cassavaDrinks
A traditional drink of Sierra Leone made with ginger, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: gingerA traditional drink of Sierra Leone made with hibiscus, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: hibiscusFruits and produce
Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in Sierra Leone, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →
Pineapple is a well-loved fruit or crop in Sierra Leone, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: pineappleFull guide →
Plantain is a well-loved fruit or crop in Sierra Leone, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: plantainDish guides from Sierra Leone
Explore Sierra Leone 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
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Senegal
- Togo
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Jollof Rice with Stew: Noahalorwu, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Palava sauce w- cocoyam leaf (5612472154): benketaro from San Francisco, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Fufu, A typical Ghanaian cuisine: Jeffery Agyenim-Boateng, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Hong Kong Okra Aug 25 2012: Earth100, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Beans Ball-Akara: AkinkuotuFunmi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mega racimos de guineos: J & E, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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