A bright, light Senegalese fish soup that lets pristine Atlantic seafood shine—simmered with onions, okra, and a generous squeeze of lemon and lime into a clean, deeply flavored broth. The fisherman's bowl.
Caldou means 'hot water' in Wolof—a deceptively simple name for a dish of quiet sophistication. It originated with the Lebou fishing communities of the Dakar peninsula, where fishermen returning with the catch would cook the freshest fish immediately in a broth brightened with citrus. Unlike the elaborate thiéboudienne, caldou is fast, minimal, and restrained—a dish that trusts its ingredients completely. It is often the meal cooked by fishermen's wives in the early morning before the market opens, and the one that Senegalese people crave when they want something light, honest, and close to the sea.
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