Cultural Mores—Meal Etiquette

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Cultural Mores—Meal Etiquette


http://www.wolof.org/way_of_life/cultural_mores/pages_cultural_mores/meal_etique tte.htm

In Senegal, eating around the bowl is a communal act of sharing which is also the occasion for making new acquaintances and beginning to develop new friendships. As in all cultures, eating in Senegal is subject to a series of rules or eating etiquette:

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The bowl is usually placed on a mat on the floor or ground. Avoid walking on mats with your shoes on.
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Wash your hands before eating (a bowl of water will usually be provided).
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Use only your right hand for eating.
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Wait until the host gives the signal to start eating.
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Eat from a pie-shaped area right in front of you, starting from the outside and working in towards the center of the bowl. This is your "territory." Don't invade other people's territory!
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Don't go right for the meat, fish, or vegetables; begin with a simple handful of rice, then help yourself to what's in the middle on the second handful.
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Don't smell food before putting it in your mouth. This gives the impression that you expected it to be rotten.
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If the rice feels too hot for your hand, scrape rice from the top layer rather than digging in. It will be cooler. Don't pull your hand back in pain. If you want to let someone know that the food needs to be fanned in order to eat it, you can say that the "cook must be jealous" (ki ko togg dafa fiir).
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Don't say how good the food is after the first bite. It's as though you did not expect it to be. Wait until you have almost finished to compliment the cook.
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Often the host or hostess will distribute pieces of fish, meat, or vegetables, at least at the beginning of the meal and sometimes throughout. Otherwise, you may help yourself to pieces of the meat, fish, or vegetables in the center of the bowl which is considered "common territory." If you are not in your own home, and are not a regular member of the family, it is not your role to distribute food.
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You should place "one of a kind" items in the middle to allow others easy access, then take a piece for yourself.
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Take one or two small pieces of fish, meat, or vegetables at a time from the center, bring them back to our "territory" and mix them into a ball of rice. Be sure to break off pieces rather than taking the whole vegetable or piece of fish or meat for yourself.
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Don't start taking another handful or rice until you have swallowed what you have in our mouth. It gives the impression of rushing to get more than anyone else.
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Place small bones in front of you on the mat just under the lip of the bowl; don't put them back in the bowl.
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Don't stare at people while they are eating.
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If somebody comes in while you are eating, invite them to join you (Kaay an/reer/ndekki.) If a person refuses after the first invitation and you really want them to feel that they are welcome if they want to eat with you, you can encourage them by inviting them to join you a second time.
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Straighten up the area in the bowl right in front of you when you have finished eating by gently pushing the rice that has stuck to the side of the bowl back into the center pile that remains. This way, if someone comes in late they will find a neat spot to eat from.
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Lick all the rice off your hand before washing up with soap and water.
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Get up and leave the bowl when you have finished. You don't have to sit around watching others eat.
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Don't step over people lying on the mat or step over the bowl.