Gambian food part 2

A few days ago I went to a compound for dinner with a Gambian friend. So now I can tell you hungry people a bit more about food preparation.

Cutlery and utensils are made by stripping aluminium off ...anything. They use moulds made of sand and they melt the metal in furnaces made of bicycle parts. If the item doesn't turn out well they melt it and try again. I love the enormous pans they use to make benachin. Containers are made of calabash shells, which can also be used as ladles if they are small. The sizes actually extend up to 50cm and kids walk around with them on their heads, to carry stuff. An outdoor charcoal burner (made from flattenned oil drums or old car metal) is used for the actual cooking. I've already mentionned the giant mortar and pestles- they are used in the preparation of most dishes. Raw ingredients are wrapped in cooking foil and cooked in their own juices directly on the hot charcoal.

Edit: In reply to Moc's -welcome ;)- questions:

People eat with their extended families, sometimes segrgated by age or sex or both (e.g. old men eat first, then old women, then young men etc.). Everyone eats from the same large bowl, using bread as a spoon. I think I mentionned before that guests of honour get the best parts tossed in their direction.