What: Thiou (pronounced “tshu”) might be considered Senegal’s take on bouillabaisse: a rustic tomato-based stew of fish or meat and chunky vegetables, served with rice.
Where: We found thiou right outside the covered Marché Kermel, where ladies set up picnic tables under makeshift tents during lunch hours most days. The food is tasty and dirt-cheap; the setting as bare-bones as it gets. We’d advise sticking to the dishes served with a spoon rather than ungloved hands.
When: Mon-Sat, approx. 11:30am-3pm (earlier is better for freshness)
Order: Here the thiou (700 CFA), spooned over rice, was made with a meaty fish plus carrots, okra, onion, and palm oil; a spicy pimόn sauce was available and definitely took the dish up a notch. At the same table were giant bowls of ceebu jën, soupe kandja, and ceebu niébé, a rice and vegetable dish made with black-eyed beans.
Alternatively: Look for this dish at any Senegalese restaurant, like small downtown eatery Point d’Interrogation (33-822-5072; Rue Assane Ndoye, map), where it was offered with poulet, or chicken.
