The Country Food Similarity Index is a statistically-based attempt to quantify how similar the food in one country is relative to another. By comparing the weight of raw food ingredients used in each country, a score is assigned that reflects the degree of similarity between the respective countries. The methodology is exactly the same for each country studied.
The Most Similar Cuisines to Mauritanian Food
Despite being located in Africa, four of the five countries with the most similar food to Mauritania are located on the Arabian peninsula. All five are have Arabic as one of their official languages and are predominately Muslim countries.
- Djibouti is another country that has a variety of French, Arab, and Sub-Saharan African influences. In both countries, rice is often served with stews. In addition, both cuisines emphasize the use of fresh herbs. However, Mauritanian cuisine includes more North African influences, such as the use of couscous.
- Yemen is just across the Red Sea from Djibouti. Yemeni cuisine, like Mauritanian, is characterized by its use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, bold spices, and slow-cooked dishes. Similar to Mauritania’s mechoui, mandi is a traditional Yemeni dish of meat. Both countries use a lot of spicy sauces on their food.
- United Arab Emirates and Mauritania both eat spiced rice dishes with meat or fish. Wheat and rice are the two most commonly eaten starches in these countries. Harees, a dish made from wheat and meat, cooked until it reaches a porridge-like consistency, parallels the Mauritanian dish of lakh.
- Saudi Arabia‘s food, rooted in Bedouin traditions, shares numerous elements with Mauritanian food due to the shared desert landscapes and nomadic lifestyles. Both countries tend to eat a lot of lamb and beef. In addition, dates are by far the most commonly consumed fruit in these nations.
- Kuwait is just to the north of Saudi Arabia. Machboos, Kuwait’s version of spiced rice with meat or fish, shares similarities with both thieboudienne and kabsa. echniques such as slow roasting and stewing are popular, allowing flavors to develop fully, as seen in dishes like mechoui and mandi.
Related: The 10 Most Similar Countries to Mauritania
The Least Similar Cuisines to Mauritanian Food
The five countries with the least similar food to Mauritania all get far more rainfall than countries in the Sahara Desert. They also have a much higher percentage of forested area as a result. All five of these countries are predominately Christian.
- Micronesia is a group of small islands in the Pacific Ocean. The country’s isolation has limited its exposure to foreign influences. Coconuts are a huge part of their cuisine. Cassava is one of the most commonly eaten starches in Micronesia.
- Central African Republic, like Mauritania, is a former French colony in Africa. However, their food is far different. The majority of the country’s diet is based on cassava and yams. Bananas and plantains are also an extremely common source of food.
- Burundi is another landlocked country located in the tropical regions of Africa. Its diet is in large part based on cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, and bananas. Very little rice and wheat is eaten in Burundi as well, compared to in Mauritania.
- Democratic Republic of Congo is a large country located in the middle of Africa that is mostly tropical rainforest. Cassava is the dominant staple crop in the country, unlike in Mauritania, where wheat and potatoes are more prevalent.
- Solomon Islands is a tropical archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. Most of its people live near the coast, so seafood is common in the country’s cuisine. Sweet potatoes, yams, and coconuts are all popular ingredients in the food there.
Related: The 10 Least Similar Countries to Mauritania
Full Food Similarity Ranking of Countries and Territories
Mauritania’s Most Common Food Ingredients
Protein: Lamb, Beef
Fruit: Date, Watermelon
Vegetable: Onion, Carrot
Starch: Wheat, Rice
Primarily based on 2020 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.