Gabon

The air inside Libreville’s Marché du Mont-Bouet is heavy with the scent of ripened fruit and wood smoke, mingling with the murmur of vendors and the steady rhythm of bargaining. Here, in the capital’s largest and most animated market, Gabon’s culinary traditions are not displayed as curiosities but lived as part of daily life. Tables sag under the weight of pineapples and mangos, their bright skins glistening in the heat. Palm nuts, stacked in baskets, hint at the rich oils central to many Gabonese dishes, while stalls of leafy greens and root vegetables testify to the agricultural abundance of the region. For shoppers, the market is not only a source...