Cape Malay Cooking Safari

The Cape Malay Cooking Safari is an approximately four-hour guided experience in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, operated by Sense of Africa, a Cape Town tour company. It is set in the Bo-Kaap, the historic Malay Quarter on the slopes of Signal Hill, known for its brightly painted houses, steep cobbled streets and the culinary traditions of the Cape Malay community. Pick-up is arranged at booking, so visitors do not need to find their own way to a fixed meeting point. The programme combines a Bo-Kaap tour with a cooking class and a meal. The tour portion introduces the history of the neighbourhood, its mosques and the heritage of the people who settled there, many of whom descended from enslaved and exiled people brought from Southeast Asia and elsewhere. The cooking class then focuses on Cape Malay cuisine, which is characterised by aromatic rather than fiery spicing, with ingredients such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and dried fruit appearing in curries, bredies and sweet-and-sour dishes, along with sweet treats. Participants eat the meal they prepare, so the experience includes both savoury dishes and typically a sweet element. The listed price is R1,337 net per person, with a minimum of two guests required for the experience to operate. Included are the Bo-Kaap tour, the cooking class and the meal. Additional drinks, gratuities and any transfers not arranged at booking should be assumed to be extra. Groups are generally small because the class takes place in a home or small kitchen setting, and instruction is given in English. Visitors who follow vegetarian or other dietary restrictions should notify the operator in advance so the menu can be adjusted. The experience suits couples, friends and families who want a hands-on introduction to Cape Malay food combined with a short cultural orientation to the neighbourhood.