Pastels
Pastels are savory Senegalese pastries typically filled with fish or meat, deep-fried to a golden crisp. They are a popular street food and appetizer, embodying the fusion of local ingredients with colonial culinary influences.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups
- 3/4 cup
- 1 tsp
- as needed
- 200 grams
- 1 medium, chopped
- 2 cloves, minced
- 1 tsp grated
- 1 small, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp
- 2 tbsp
- 1 beaten
Where this dish lives in the atlas
Dishes can belong to more than one culinary culture. These claims show origin, variation, diaspora, influence, or contested relationships when the atlas has source-backed context.
- OriginPrimary displayUncited · medium confidence
Senegalese
Backfilled from legacy dishes.culture_id during Phase 0B research-ingest foundation.
Last updated 4/1/2026
Pastels originated as a fusion dish influenced by Portuguese pastries introduced during early colonial contact, adapted by Senegalese cooks using local fish and spices.
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