This article draws on data from a study undertaken many years ago on Dogon food sources, cooking practices and classification of foods. Comparison with recent observations confirms that little has changed since the fifties. These data, complemented by a study of the words used to refer to eating, drinking and distinguishing between tastes, are correlated with the great cultural preoccupations of the Dogon (the person, speech, fecundity) in order to shed light on the symbolic role played by natural substances in food traditions. This symbolic role is faithfully reflected in Dogon folktales referring to food, from which examples are selected.