What to eat in Guinea-Bissau

I visited Guinea-Bissau when I was working as a financial auditor in a consulting company. We had some projects there, so I was lucky to get to know a few things about this country.

One of the areas I was impressed with was the local cuisine.

I wasn't impressed because of the excellent qualities of restaurant management, nor their dish presentations, or even impressed by a world famous Guinean dish.

No.

What I was impressed with was the flavors in their food.

There are some excellent local dishes I tried during my stay in the country which I would like to tell you about. 

I would highlight 5 main dishes.

1. Fresh fish

 Guinea-Bissau is located by the sea, so the fresh fish there is excellent.

The preparation is very simple, just salted and grilled in coal.

They let the freshness of the fish speaks for itself.

There is a region 30 kilometers from the capital Bissau, called Quinhamel, where you can eat fresh fish and fresh oysters. I don't really like oysters so I didn't have those, although the looked fresh.

However, I would be very careful in risking to eat whatever is not properly cooked. The hygiene risks are very high, so you should only eat well done food.

I tried fish in a couple locations, but I would recommend trying to eat in the Quinhamel region. Particularly, I went to the restaurant Mar Azul. You can enjoy a good meal with a fantastic river view.

 

2. Cafriela Chicken

This dish consists on a grilled chicken with a sort of lemon sauce.

The secret is the way the chicken is grilled, but more importantly the sauce.

The sauce has a very strong lemon flavor, because, obviously, they put a significant quantity of lemon in it. They also include a lot of garlic and onion, which is fried to add flavor to the sauce.

To top of the sauce, they put a little bit of Peri-Peri made from chili produced in the country. Not too strong, but very tasty.

This is a very acidic dish, but very balanced because of the sweetness of the Peri-Peri and onions.

The side that goes with it, is usually rice, as many of the traditional Guinean dishes.

You can find more about this dish and how to make it in here.

One of the best places where I've eaten this dish at was the local restaurant "Padeira Africana", which has an interesting blend of Portuguese cuisine with the flavor of Guinea-Bissau. Totally worth the visit.

 

3. Chabeu's broth

This is usually cooked with chicken (but can be cooked with fish as well), this dish has a reddish sauce that is very tasty.

The red color comes from a fruit that grows in the country which is called "Chabeu" and lends it's name to the dish.

The fruit must be boiled before it is used to cook the dish, so that its lump can be removed from the inside.

Using the lump-less fruit it is boiled and added to the chicken to give it a strong and tasteful flavor. We can't forget the Peri-Peri made from chili locally produced. This enriches the dish and makes it more tasteful.

Similarly to other traditional Guinean dishes, the side that goes with it is usually rice.

Again, my favorite place to eat this dish was at the local restaurant "Padeira Africana".

 

4. Mancarra broth

This is one of my favorites.

Mancarra is the Guinean name for peanut, so this is basically a very well done peanut broth.

The protein that is used in the dish may vary. You can see this broth with chicken, shrimp, or the one I tried, with meatballs.

The secret is in the sauce.

The base of the sauce is done with the usual mostly used Guinean ingredients: lemon, onions, garlic and a olive oil. These are fried to make the sauce base and then they include tomato and, most importantly, the peanuts, which will add the most significant flavor to the dish.

The Peri-Peri cannot be forgotten since it enriches the peanut flavor.

I love how the sweetness of the peanuts is balanced with the lemon and tomato, and, most importantly, the chilies included in the broth make it unforgettable.

I tried this dish with meatballs and the side was rice.

I know I have mentioned rice a few times, but not only it is the basis for Guinean cuisine, but also it pairs really well with strong sauce dishes, such as this one.

You can find more about this dish and how to make it in here.

Where did I eat this? You bet: the local restaurant "Padeira Africana".

5. Meat skewers

I saved on the best for last.

One of the most iconic dishes you can eat in Guinea-Bissau are the meat skewers. You can have it done with beef or pork, whichever animal you prefer, you will love they way the skewers are seasoned and  grilled.

There is a strong Senegalese influence in Guinea-Bissau and these skewers are an example of that. However, I do feel they are so good that it is a must have.

I'm not even sure how they season them, but for sure, it has a lot of garlic and salt. They then grill it fantastically and serve it, usually, with french fries.

I could spend an entire week in the country just eating these.

I ate the skewers at the "Senegalesa" local restaurant, which was one of the worst looking restaurants I have been to, but also one of the best places I've been to. I really loved the food there.

 

Other places where I've eaten well in Guinea-Bissau

There are a couple restaurants I tried that are also worth mentioning. One of them is the local place Papaloca, where you can eat some good pizzas and good steaks. This is not the most traditional place to go to, since it serves more international food. But the food is well done and the restaurant as a good hygiene, which is very important.

Also, the restaurant of the Coimbra Hotel and Spa hotel has a good buffet and if one is looking for more food options this is a good one as well.

In Bissau there are also good options for Lebanese cuisine. I particularly went to a restaurant called "Morabeza". The food is excellent and there are a lot of options, including pizza.

Lastly, I went to a restaurant close to the Saltinho waterfall in the region of Bafatá (approximately 175 kilometers from the capital Bissau) , which is also a simple hotel ("Pousada de Saltinho"). I ate a portuguese-style goatling with freshly baked bread which was excellent.

This meal was served with an amazing view of the Saltinho waterfall.

 

One of the most important aspect is to consider the hygiene risks. 

Food poisoning can be serious and you need to be prepared for that. 

You should opt onlyy for well done food and avoid eggs, salads and ice. I never had food poisoning at Guinea-Bissau, but we should be careful with it.