From South Florida to Senegal, lessons in culinary culture

Pictured from left to right are her host uncle, mom, dad, younger sister, Brooke Donner and younger brother in her host family’s compound in Kédougou, Senegal.
With the radio set to a Pulaar music station – Pulaar is one of Senegal’s many ethnic groups and languages, and the most prevalent in the Kédougou region – my host mom Fatoumata folds laundry and my younger host brother Mameballa pops the kernels off of dried corn cobs.
The components of ceebu jen, including dried fish, cabbage, garlic, hot pepper, seasoning packets, bitter eggplant, onion, turnip, carrot, hibiscus leaves (used to make a mushy sauce), cassava, okra, and fish, vary from day to day depending on which vegetables are available at the various stands around my neighborhood where women sell ingredients, or at the market in the town center.
My older host sister Hawa and her son Mohammed sit in the patio area where my host family eats most meals, including the standard breakfast of bread with mayonnaise or chocolate spread and instant coffee with powdered milk and lots of sugar.