The Gambia's food culture centers on rice, groundnuts, and the fish and oysters drawn from the Gambia River and Atlantic coast. Its cuisine shares deep roots with neighboring Senegal, favoring bold, slow-simmered stews eaten from a shared communal bowl.

Domoda, a rich groundnut stew usually made with meat or fish, is considered a national dish, alongside benachin, a one-pot rice dish similar to jollof. Palm oil and dried fish are common flavor bases throughout Gambian cooking.