Dogon people live in a chain of red sandstone cliffs which run from north to south across the Mali plain. They have dug their houses out of the rock and built huts. Next to these houses are fields where the locals produce shallots, their primary source of income, sold fresh or dried.
These shallots are beloved at markets due to their sweetness and unique flavor. The Dogon people, however, also produce a variety of vegetables, cereals, and legumes. The women use flowers, leaves, and fruit of each plant to make a variety of condiments called somé. Kamá is the powder made by grinding dried sorrel leaves, pourkamá is made by grinding dried leaves of a local tree known as neré, djabá pounan is made by grinding dried shallot pellets, then roasting the powder in peanut oil, while gangadjou pounan is a powder of dried okra.
There are also oroupounná, the powder from baobab leaves, and local pepper known as keberoupounna. All of these condiments are staples of Dogon cuisine – used in soups, sauces, on vegetables, or on meat.
