In brief
- Chicken yassa: chicken marinated in lemon and mustard, then simmered with a large quantity of soft, melting onions.
- Origin: Senegal, a speciality of the Diola people born in Casamance.
- Essential ingredients: chicken, onions, lemon, mustard, chilli, oil.
- A festive dish, served with the family with white rice, on Sundays and special occasions.
Origins and cultural history of chicken yassa
Yassa is a speciality of the Diola people, originally from Casamance, a region in southern Senegal bordered by the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The recipe combines the tart juice of lemon with a large quantity of onions cooked for a long time, until they melt into a thick, fragrant preparation.
The dish then spread throughout Senegal, then into the Senegalese diaspora settled in France and Europe, to the point of becoming one of the best-known Senegalese dishes outside Africa. The meat marinates for several hours, sometimes overnight, before being seared then simmered: chicken yassa is prepared today for Sunday meals, weddings and family celebrations, with variations from household to household.
What are the essential ingredients of chicken yassa
The marinade and sauce for chicken yassa rely on a small number of ingredients, easy to find in an African and Caribbean grocery store like NKOSI.
- chicken, in pieces (or fish)
- onions, in large quantity
- lemons, for the juice
- mustard
- chilli
- oil
What to know about chicken yassa
Chicken yassa is a Senegalese dish, a specialty of the Diola people that originated in Casamance: chicken pieces marinate for several hours, sometimes overnight, in lemon juice, mustard and a large amount of sliced onions. The chicken is then seared and simmered in this marinade, with chili pepper, until the onions turn soft and melting. A festive dish, it is served with white rice on Sundays, at weddings and on big occasions.
Frequently asked questions about chicken yassa
What is chicken yassa?
Chicken yassa is a Senegalese dish in which pieces of chicken marinate for several hours in lemon juice, mustard and a large quantity of sliced onions, before being seared then simmered in this same marinade until the onions become soft and melting. It is traditionally served with white rice.
Where does chicken yassa come from?
Yassa is a speciality of the Diola people, born in Casamance, in southern Senegal. The dish then spread throughout the country, then into the Senegalese diaspora, until it became one of the most widely served Senegalese dishes outside Africa.
Where to find the ingredients for chicken yassa in France?
NKOSI sells ingredients for chicken yassa (mustard, chilli, broken rice, seasoning) and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
