The ultimate list - start here!

A

Almond extract: arôme amande amère
Available at most French grocery stores. Comes in a small glass bottle, usually near the vanilla and baking powder. You can also find almond paste, almond slivers and ground almonds.

Applesauce
Available in glass jars or cans at most grocery stores. Dior Diarama occasionally has Mott’s brand in individual serving cups.

Asparagus: asperges
Frozen asparagus available at Parcours (also called Chez Hoballah or the French Fry store) on the Corniche and also at City Dia.

Artificial sweetener (saccharine): edulcorant
Available at most French grocery stores. Comes in a large glass jar with red lid, usually near sugar and flour. Also see Splenda.

B

Bacon: poitrine fumée
I find what is labeled ‘bacon’ is more like what we call Canadian bacon. Poitrine fumée is like thick-cut country ham. The CDA brand is quite good and available at Hypermarché Exclusive for about 600-700cfa for a small package of 4-5 slices.

Baked beans
Heinz brand is available at some French grocery stores, usually in the import section. You can also doctor up a can of cheap Cassoulet beans (first take out the meat add-ins) with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, bacon and liquid smoke.

Baking powder: levure chimique
Available in small packets (about 2 tsp) at any grocery store or buutik. They are often in pink or yellow packets. Look for them near the vanilla-flavored sugar and instant yeast. Foster’s Clark brand baking powder cannisters are available at King Cash and Le Caddie (now owned by Casino) for about $4-5. (It would be cheaper to bring a cannister from the US. But yes, you can get it here easily.)

Baking soda: bicarbonate de soude, bicarbonate alimentaire
Sold in a blue and white box at Casino stores.

Barley: orge

BBQ sauce
Heinz BBQ sauce is available at some French grocery stores and Hypermarché Exclusive.

Berries
Netto brand frozen mixed berries available at Hypermarché Exclusive and Saprolait downtown.

Bisquick
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Black beans: haricots noirs
Available in small and large cans at Hypermarché Exclusive (VDN), Foodstore and Equipments (VDN-Sacré Coeur), Le Caddie – Casino (Hann Maristes).

Blueberries
Frozen blueberries available downtown at Saprolait.

Blue cheese dressing
A great recipe here. Ken’s brand is available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Bread
Two things to know: 1) The best artisan breads are from Eric Kayser downtown, 2) The best local bread is called ‘tapalapa‘ and is available at most buutiks.

Breadcrumbs
Fresh breadcrumbs available at Le Caddie – Casino in Hann Maristes.

Brown sugar: Available at some French grocery stores and an entire shelf of choices can be found at Hypermarché Exclusive.

Cassonade: light brown sugar, similar to granular raw sugar
Sucre de cane: cane sugar, available in light or dark
Sucre roux: medium brown sugar, granular
Viergoise blond: softer light brown sugar
Viergoise brun: softer dark brown sugar

Brown sugar is available in Burkina Faso, so if you’ve got friends there or a trip planned… Or you can ‘cheat’ and bring maple flavoring from the US and add a drop or two per cup of sugar called for in a recipe.

Brownie mixes
US brand name mixes are available at Hypermarché Exclusive and Dior Diarama. French mixes are available at Casino stores and City Dia.

Buckwheat flour: farine de sarrasin
Available at most French grocery stores.

Burritos
Old El Paso kits available at Hypermarché Exclusive and other stores.

Buttermilk: Elben
There are many possible substitutes for buttermilk, but the best I’ve found is Yorik fermented milk made by Yoplait. It works perfectly in many American recipes. A word of caution – Yorik also comes in fruited flavors, so if you want plain buttermilk, look for nature. If you can’t find Yorik, look for unsweetened lait caillé in the yogurt aisle.

Butternut squash
Available at vegetable stands. Delicious!

C

Cake mixes
US brand name mixes are available at Hypermarché Exclusive and Dior Diarama.

Candy bars
Your best bet for American sweet treats is Dior Diorama or Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Cappuccino mix
Nescafé makes several varieties. Available in the larger French grocery stores.

Cheetos
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Cheez-its
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Cheddar cheese
City Dia saves the day at 7,000cfa/kilo! For about the same price, good substitutes are Edam, Mimolette and Gouda.

Cherries, maraschino
Available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur.

Cherry pie filling
Cherries (with pits) are available at French grocery stores in a glass jar, near applesauce. Need to add thickener and sweetener to make pie filling, but this is a good start.

Cinnamon sticks: canelle en baton

Cinnamon, ground: canelle moulu

Cilantro: coriandre or persil chinois
Available at vegetable stands.

Cloves: clous de girofles
Whole cloves are available, but ground cloves you’ll probably want to bring from the US.

Coca-Cola soft drinks
You can find classic Coke as well as Coca-Cola Light – occasionally available in regular, lime, orange, lemon and caffeine-free. Cherry Coke and Coke Zero are available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive.

Cocoa: cacao non-sucré
Available at French grocery stores. 1848 is a very high-quality brand.

Coffeemate
Available occasionally at Dakar City Casino.

Cornmeal: semoule de maïs, semolina
Excellent for making Southern Girl’s cornbread. The imported cornmeal found in grocery stores is much finer than the local cornmeal. Both are good – just depends on whether you want fine or coarse.

Corn on the cob
We have great sweet corn! The season starts in February.

Cottage cheese
Available occasionally at the big Casino. Look for a pack of two cottage cheese bowls in green packaging, near the yogurts.

Country ham
Jambon fumé is similar to Virginia Country Ham if you heat it in a frying pan.

Country sausage
You can make your own using ground pork (chair à saucisse).

Crackers
American Snack Cracker packs, Cheez-its and Goldfish crackers are available occasionally at Dior Diarama.
Ritz brand are available at some stores, but Tucs or Krit are a good substitute.
For Saltines, try the Leader Price brand ‘crackers salés’.

Cranberry juice
Available at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Cream cheese
You can substitute Kiri cheese squares or petits suisses (the ones in mini-yogurt pots) for carrot cake icing.

Cream of tartar
Available at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Cream of wheat
Available occasionally at Dakar City Casino.

Cream soda
Available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

D

Dill relish
Available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur.

Doritos
Available at many grocery stores, and other special flavors occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Dr Pepper
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama and regularly (single or by the case) at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

E

Enchiladas
Old El Paso kits available at Hypermarché Exclusive and other stores.

F

Fajitas
Old El Paso kits available at Hypermarché Exclusive and other stores.

Flour: farine
For all-purpose flour, look for Type 65. French all-purpose flour is more like what we call cake flour in the US. Whole wheat flour is available from vendors outside ISD on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 1,200cfa/kilo.

French onions
Powdered gratinée d’oignon makes a very respectable French onion dip when made with crème fraîche épaisse. Tip: crush the croutons or they swell and get soggy.

French’s mustard
Available at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Fried onions: oignons frits
Commonly used for topping green bean casserole, these little guys can be found at larger French grocery stores in the apéritifs section alongside crackers and pretzels.

G

Ginger: gingembre
Fresh ginger as well as powdered is available at markets at most grocery stores. You can use it to make this tea for sore throats and colds and also these soft honey and ginger cookies. You can also find locally made candied ginger.

Gluten-free
Check the ‘bio’ (organic) sections of French stores. And read this blog!

Goldfish crackers
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Graham crackers
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama. em>Petit Beurre cookies are a good substitute for making graham cracker crusts. You can also substitute the small cookies labeled Biscuits Thé for making s’mores. Another tip from a Dakar Eats reader: “Check out CityDia in Mermoz and look for speculoos original cookies. They taste and look like graham crackers.”

Granola
Muesli is really quite fantastic granola, but it’s expensive. Here’s a recipe for home-made granola. Our favorite store-bought brand is at CityDia.

Granola bars
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Grape jelly
Smucker’s brand available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Grits
Polenta is close enough if you’re a homesick Southerner. Or, even better… Grits, Senegal-style!

H

Heinz
In most large French grocery stores you will find not only the original ketchup, but also Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, a wide range of mustards and mayos, tomato products, and a new line of purees, dips and a curry sauce.

Hellman’s
Available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Hotdogs
Oscar Mayer brand vailable occasionally at Le Parcours (also called Hoballah’s or the French Fry store) on the Corniche.

I

Ice cream
Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs are available (for a price!). If you want a fresh scoop, try Mami Mia on route de Ouakam, near the ancienne piste roundpoint.

Icing sugar: see powdered sugar

J

Jalapenos
Available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur.

JIF
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Jiffy
Muffin mixes available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

K

Kellogg’s cereals
Available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

M

Mayonnaise
Hellman’s brand is available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN. The Calvé brand is also a favorite.

Mint: menthe or nana
Available everywhere If you’re wanting to make mint ice cream, may I recommend NOT using syrop de menthe.

Molasses: mélasse
You can buy imported molasses at the Lebanese grocery stores. Be careful though – it can be much stronger than molasses in the US. I use half mélasse and half honey for making molasses spice cookies.

Mounds candy bars
Bounty bars are a great substitute! The blue packages are milk chocolate and the red are dark chocolate.

Mountain Dew
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Mrs Butterworth’s
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Mushrooms: champignons
Dried mushrooms are available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur. Frozen mushrooms can be found at Hypermarché Exclusif and other stores. Fresh mushroom are sometimes available (for a price!) at Casino stores.

N

Nutmeg: noix de muscade
Available whole (entier) or ground (moulu).

Nutri-grain bars
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

O

Oats, rolled: flocons d’avoine
Available in cans at many stores. Ay Hypermarché Exclusive you can occasionally find 500g bags for under 1,000cfa, instant as well as large cut.
Flavored packets from the US are available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Oreos
Who needs ‘em? We’ve got Biskrem! But real Oreos are available in some grocery stores, such as King Cash. Hypermarché Exclusive also has chocolate-covered Oreos and mini Oreos.

P

Pam spray
This brand is not usually available, but others are at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Peanut butter
US brands available at Dior Diarama and UK brands (small jars) at Hypermarché Exclusif. Natural, local peanut butter is also available in two qualities: one for cooking mafé (tiggadegué) and the other for eating as is. For homemade PB cookies, use the latter.

Pecans: noix de pécan

Pepsi
You can find Pepsi soft drinks in 33 cl cans, 50 cl bottles or 1.5 liter bottles. Choose from regular Pepsi, Pepsi Max (sweetened with aspartame), Pepsi Max Citron or Pepsi Max Capuccino. The pink bottled Pepsi Light (also sweetened with aspartame) is marketed for women, so back off, guys.

Pesto
Available at most French grocery stores. The City Dia brand is our favorite.

Pickles
Dill relish is available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur. French ‘aigre-douce’ pickles are not sweet, but rather mild and can be chopped to use as relish in recipes such as potato salad and deviled eggs.

Pizza
The closest to American-style pizza is at Pizza Inn (three locations). Tuesday nights are buy one, get one free on their five basic pizzas.

Powdered milk
Many brands of whole powdered milk are available, but the best quality are Nido, Laitcran and Bridel. Skim powdered milk is available at Dakar City Casino and Hypermarché Exclusive – look for boxes rather than bags or tins.

Powdered sugar: sucre glace à saupoudrer
One popular brand name is ‘Daddy’ and it comes in a bright pink container, shaped like an hourglass. Available from most French grocery stores.

Pringles
You can find original, sour cream & onion, paprika, hot & spicy at most large grocery stores.

Pumpkin
For making pumpkin pies and quick breads I use cooked, puréed carrots as a substitute.

R

Ranch Dressing
Hidden Valley brand available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Raspberries
Netto brand frozen raspberries available at Hypermarché Exclusive.

Ricotta cheese
Available in larger French grocery stores, or you can substitute fromage en faiselle or chèvre in some cases. Both work well in lasagne, but who wants to spend that kind of money? Here’s a recipe for making it from scratch in five minutes.

Ritz crackers
Try Tucs brand instead. I actually like them better!

Roasted red peppers: poivrons rouges grillés
Available from French grocery stores and City Dia. Check to see if they’re packed in water or oil as both are available.

Root beer
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Rotel tomatoes
Available at Foodstore and Equipments on the VDN – Sacré Coeur.

S

7Up
Available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Salsa
A word to the wise: French brands are often sweet rather than spicy. Here’s my Dad’s recipe – good stuff.

Saltines
Try the Leader Price brand ‘crackers salés‘.

Skippy
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Skittles
Available occasionally at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Smucker’s
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

Soup
Canned soups (minestrone, for example) are available at Hypermarché Exclusif. Dried soup packets are also available. The Knorr brand is quite good. If you want to make a cream of ____ soup from scratch, here’s a good recipe.

Sour cream: crème fraîche
I use crème fraiche and think it works just fine. You can add a squirt of lemon to it if you prefer. Available at any French grocery store. The épaisse is 30% fat content and légère is 15%.

Soy sauce: sauce soja

Splenda:
Available occasionally at French grocery stores. Also try Dior Diarama.

Strawberries
In season starting in February. A good price is under 1,000cfa/tub or 3,500/kilo in full season.

Sweet corn
In season starting in February. A good price is 100cfa/ear.

Sweet potatoes: patates douces
Available at vegetable stands, may be whiter in color than American varieties. Make great sweet potato fries!

T

Tang
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama. Foster Clark’s Orange is a good substitute.

Taco seasoning
In a pinch, just use ground cumin. If you’re in a pinch and have access to a spice cabinet, here’s a recipe.

Tortillas
Homemade tortillas are available Wednesday afternoons at Dakar Academy and Tuesday/Thursday afternoons at ISD. You can buy Old El Paso brand (or others) in many stores. Or you can substitute pita bread.

Tortilla chips
You can buy Old El Paso brand (or others) in many stores. Often there are ‘nature’ (plain) or ‘chili’ flavors.

Tostitos
Available occasionally at Dior Diarama.

V

V8
Available at Hypermarché Exclusive on the VDN.

Vanilla extract: arôme de vanille
Vahiné brand available at most grocery stores, usually near sugar and baking ingredients.

W

Wheat bran: son de blé
Look for it in the ‘bio’ (organic) sections of French grocery stores.

Whole wheat flour
Available from vendors outside ISD on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 1,200cfa/kilo.

Worcestershire sauce
Heinz brand is available at most grocery stores.

Y

Yeast: levure boulangère
Available in individual packets or in bulk (500g) from most French grocery stores.