Mauritanian Cuisine

Mauritanian cuisine reflects the country's dual character, straddling the Arab-Berber nomadic world of the Sahara and the Atlantic coast, blending desert traditions with the sea's bounty and West African influences. From the nomadic heritage come méchoui, a whole lamb or sheep roasted over coals for feasts, dates, and camel milk and meat. From the coast, remarkably rich in fish, comes an abundance of seafood, and the beloved thieboudienne, fish and rice, shared with neighbouring Senegal. Grains, couscous and rice are staples, and above all, the elaborate ritual of preparing and pouring sweet green tea in three rounds is central to hospitality and daily life.

What's there

• Méchoui - the whole roast lamb of desert feasts.
• Thieboudienne - the fish-and-rice dish of the coast.
• The dates and camel milk - the nomadic staples.
• The three-round tea - the ritual of sweet green tea.

When to go

Year-round; local eateries serve grilled meats, fish and rice dishes, the markets brim with dates and produce, and the coast, especially around Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, offers abundant fresh fish. Above all, sharing the ritual three rounds of sweet green tea, poured with ceremony, is an essential and cherished part of Mauritanian hospitality.

What to expect

Mauritanian food is hearty, simple fare blending desert and coastal traditions rather than a varied or refined cuisine, so its appeal is the roast méchoui, fresh Atlantic fish, dates and, above all, the social ritual of tea rather than culinary complexity; camel milk and meat are an acquired taste, and the usual care with water and food applies. Shared in the spirit of desert hospitality over rounds of sweet tea, though, Mauritanian food is a genuine and evocative taste of the Sahara and the sea.

Nearby

Nouakchott, the coast and the desert tents are the places to eat.