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What to eat in Guinea

Five dishes to try in Guinea, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.

Five dishes to try in Guinea

  1. Riz gras

    Main dish

    Rice cooked in tomato and oil with meat or fish.

    How to have it: Guinea's everyday take on jollof; served at street eateries and family lunches.

    Read about Riz gras on Wikipedia

  2. Sauce arachide

    Main dish

    Peanut stew with meat or fish, served over rice.

    How to have it: A standard lunch across the country, also called mafé.

    Read about Sauce arachide on Wikipedia

  3. Poulet yassa

    Main dish

    Chicken marinated in lemon and onion, then braised.

    How to have it: Shared with Senegal; served over rice in restaurants in Conakry.

    Read about Poulet yassa on Wikipedia

  4. Fonio

    Main dishVegetarian

    Tiny ancient grain, steamed like couscous and served with sauce.

    How to have it: A staple of the Fouta Djallon highlands; eaten with peanut or leaf sauce.

    Read about Fonio on Wikipedia

  5. Gnamakoudji

    DrinkVegetarian

    Sweet, fiery fresh ginger juice, often mixed with pineapple or lemon.

    How to have it: Sold chilled in bags and bottles by street vendors.

    Read about Gnamakoudji on Wikipedia

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Questions

What food is Guinea famous for?

Riz gras (rice cooked in tomato and oil with meat or fish) comes first on our list, followed by Sauce arachide, Poulet yassa, Fonio and Gnamakoudji.

What is the national dish of Guinea?

Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Guinea is Riz gras: rice cooked in tomato and oil with meat or fish. Guinea's everyday take on jollof; served at street eateries and family lunches.

Which dishes in Guinea are vegetarian?

Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Fonio and Gnamakoudji. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.

What do people drink in Guinea?

Gnamakoudji: sweet, fiery fresh ginger juice, often mixed with pineapple or lemon.

How reliable is this list?

The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.

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Dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.