– Making Ataya:
– Ataya is served as a social occasion after meals.
– Ataya promotes conversation and friendship due to its preparation time.
– Senegalese-style ataya is served in three stages called the three concoctions.
– The process of making ataya involves boiling Chinese green tea leaves with mint leaves over a charcoal stove.
– More than 80% of Senegalese aged 15-60 drink tea, which may help prevent dental diseases.
– In Music:
– Cultural importance of Senegalese tea drinking highlighted in Ismaël Lô’s song “Ataya”.
– The song “Ataya” is featured on Ismaël Lô’s 1986 album, “Natt”.
– See Also:
– Senegal portal.
– Senegalese cuisine.
– References:
– Green Tea with Mint. The Congo Kuk (African Recipes).
– Countries of the Francophone: The Musée de la Femme Henriette Bathily, Senegal: Preparing Tea.
– Calm: Secrets to Serenity from Cultures of the World, Lonely Planet 2013.
– Yam AA; Kane AW; Cisse D; Gueye MM; Diop L; Agboton P; Faye M. Traditional tea drinking in Senegal. A real source of fluoride intake for the population.
– External Links:
– Videos showing ataya tea drinking customs.
– A man demonstrates ataya ceremonial serving of tea.
– Drinking ataya in Eastern Senegal, showing the tea preparation over an outdoor charcoal fire.
Senegalese tea culture is an important part of daily social life. The Senegalese tea-drinking custom is essentially similar to those of other countries in the West Africa region, such as Mali, Guinea, Gambia and Mauritania. In and around Senegal, tea is prepared and presented in an elaborate process, and known in the Wolof language as attaya, ataya or ataaya.
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