AP PHOTOS: From the Atlantic coast to the Sahelian plain, Ramadan brings West Africans to the table

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DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Each night, throughout Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, families gather, neighbors share food freely and communities come together around beloved culinary traditions that carry both comfort and meaning.

Quiet hunger gives way to the clattering of plates as the sun sets each night and Muslims end their day-long fasts. In homes, mosque courtyards and under the warm glow of streetside food stalls, believers gather to share meals woven with tradition, faith and the warmth of community.

Ramadan is not just another month on the Islamic calendar, it’s the heart of the year for believers. From dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from food and drink, using the time for self-reflection, devotion and spiritual awareness. And it’s a national event in Muslim-majority countries throughout West Africa, where more than half of the population is Muslim, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

In coastal Senegal, volunteers lather a spiced fish paste made of local sardinella onto bread, making sandwiches to hand out during ndogou — the wolof word for iftar — the meal in which Muslims break their fasts. In Ghana, women pour corn dough and cassava into a silver pot to make a doughy base for a dish called tuo zaafi. They then serve it to those in need with a traditional stew made with tomatoes, spices and ayoyo. In Nigeria, volunteers pile mountains of onions into steaming cauldrons of rice, stirring up the pungent magic of jollof.

In Sahelian countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, families prepare pungent peanut stews with meat and onions, incorporating local culinary staples into their nightly feasts.

Islam may be most commonly associated with the Arab world, but its roots run deep across many parts of the globe, notably in West Africa. Muslims make up large majorities in most of the countries along the region’s Atlantic coastline and in its Sahelian plains, including Ghana, Mali and Senegal.

Increased demand for meat, fruits and vegetables during Ramadan can drive up food prices, making festive meals unaffordable for many. However, volunteer organizations in cities like Dakar and Accra, the capitals of Senegal and Ghana, intensify their efforts in the spirit of generosity that defines the holy month.

___ Misper Apawu reported from Accra, Ghana and Sunday Alamba from Lagos, Nigeria. Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco contributed to this report.