This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines now closed

User menu
Swahili Cooking Workshop

Swahili Cooking Workshop

Overview: Swahili Cooking Workshop

Zanzibar’s cuisine and culinary influences are as exotic as the island itself: a literal melting pot of flavours from Portugal, the Middle East and India. The tasty fusion food is made rich with the freshly picked herbs and spices which gave Zanzibar its ‘Spice Island’ moniker.

This genuinely authentic culinary workshop will take you to the heart of the spice farm region, teach you how to select and blend an array of spices, create souvenir blends, and guide you through cooking a traditional Swahili meal.

What to expect on the cooking tour

Setting out from Stone Town you will be driven to the lush spice farms near Kidichi (30 minutes). Here you will meet your local host, Murtala, who will take you back to his family home. In the outdoor cooking area, you’ll first learn about the properties of various spices, and how they can be crushed and carefully blended together to create extraordinary flavours. You will discover which combination of spices produce the best masala chai (spiced tea), learn how to create the perfect flavour blend for an aromatic curry, and experience grinding up your own spices with the giant pestle and mortar to produce a personalised spice blend for use back at home.

Armed with your knowledge of the flavours, its on to preparing and cooking a traditional Zanzibari meal. You will be shown traditional cooking techniques, from the specialist tools used to scrape out a coconut, to cooking over a charcoal stove. You’ll prepare hot Badhia (falafels), learn how to grind up a coconut and extract the fresh milk, and chop a colourful selection of seasonal vegetables to which your blend of freshly ground spices and creamy coconut will be added. Whilst the food simmers and the tantalising smells spread, you’ll enjoy some tropical fruit juices, before finally tucking into your utterly delicious feast of aromatic pilau rice, vegetable coconut curry, Katchumbari salad and crisp herb falafels with a coconut chutney, all washed down with freshly squeezed tamarind juice or fragrant tea.

Furahiya chakula chako! (Enjoy your meal!)

You will be met by your guide at your Stone Town hotel around 09:00 and driven to the spice plantations near Kidichi to start your private workshop. You'll typically arrive back in Stone Town in the early afternoon however the exact itinerary for this excursion is flexible and can be easily combined with the Stone Town discovery tour.

Your guides for this workshop will be Murtala and his wife Khamisi. Murtala is originally from the island of Pemba, and has been farming spices and guiding tours for over 10 years. Murtala and Khamisi love what they do; they are natural hosts with a true passion for cooking and spices.

Please note: Expert Africa only books excursions as a part of a full, Expert Africa itinerary.
Start location
Any of Expert Africa's hotels in Stone Town
End location
Back at your hotel
Meals included
Lunch
Duration
Half-day or combine with other tours
Maximum group size
Four people

Swahili Cookery Workshop: Picture Gallery

What to look forward to.


1 of 11
Take part in a Swahili Cooking Workshop where you can discover the array of locally grown spices...
2 of 11
... and join Murtala and his wife Khamisi to cook a traditional Zanzibari meal.
3 of 11
You can try your hand at blending the freshly picked spices...
4 of 11
...help to prepare a variety of seasonal vegetables...
5 of 11
... use traditional methods to extract fresh coconut milk...
6 of 11
... lightly fry herb falafels...
7 of 11
...in order to produce an aromatic vegetable curry, bean falafels, creamy coconut chutney and fluffy pilau rice.
8 of 11
After a morning of cooking and blending you can sit back and enjoy your home-cooked meal!
9 of 11
After lunch you may then choose to go on a tour of the spice plantations...
10 of 11
... where you can discover how the spices are grown...
11 of 11
... and learn about their various culinary and medicinal uses.

Take part in a Swahili Cooking Workshop where you can discover the array of locally grown spices...

... and join Murtala and his wife Khamisi to cook a traditional Zanzibari meal.

You can try your hand at blending the freshly picked spices...

...help to prepare a variety of seasonal vegetables...

... use traditional methods to extract fresh coconut milk...

... lightly fry herb falafels...

...in order to produce an aromatic vegetable curry, bean falafels, creamy coconut chutney and fluffy pilau rice.

After a morning of cooking and blending you can sit back and enjoy your home-cooked meal!

After lunch you may then choose to go on a tour of the spice plantations...

... where you can discover how the spices are grown...

... and learn about their various culinary and medicinal uses.

Swahili Cooking Workshop reviews

2 independent first-hand comments from our travellers.


95%
4 reviews since August 2007
Excellent
3
Good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Mr & Mrs EfromCroydon

29 Sep 2023

"Swahili Cooking Workshop review"

"We really enjoyed our cooking workshop. …" Read Mr & Mrs E’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mrs. K fromMinnesota

25 Aug 2021

"Swahili Cooking Workshop review"

"probably the best thing we did while on Zanzibar... a highlight of our trip.. …" Read Mrs. K ’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

SimonafromLondon

29 Jul 2022

"Swahili Cooking Workshop review"

"A lot of fun, the kitchen's location was amazing …" Read Simona’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Ms C.fromSeattle

24 Feb 2022

"Swahili Cooking Workshop review"

"The food we cooked was delicious …" Read Ms C.’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

See all Swahili Cooking Workshop reviews

Ideas for holidays which can include Swahili Cooking Workshop

Add this experience to these trip ideas or contact us to start planning your own tailor-made holiday to Zanzibar.


Itinerary image

Turmeric Beach Holiday

7 days • 2 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

Relax on powdery white beaches and snorkel over colourful reefs on Zanzibar’s picturesque east coast before heading on to Stone Town to explore the labyrinth of cobbled streets.

US$2,220 - US$3,750 per person

Itinerary image

Masala Beach Holiday

9 days • 2 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

Two luxuriously elegant hotels offer relaxation on Zanzibar’s beach-front and exploration of Stone Town. Combine peaceful tranquility with fine dining, indulgent comforts and vibrant culture.

US$6,170 - US$9,560 per person

Itinerary image

Coconut Beach Holiday

6 days • 2 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

A luxurious island getaway split between a small boutique hotel in Stone Town and your own sumptuous private villa on a spectacular swath of white sandy beach.

US$2,290 - US$5,000 per person

Itinerary image

Red Colobus Monkey Safari

11 days • 3 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

This luxury holiday suggestion combines a wildlife safari in Ruaha National Park with a week on Zanzibar, exploring Stone Town’s narrow streets and relaxing on a palm-shaded beach.

US$6,230 - US$8,490 per person

Itinerary image

Turaco Safari

12 days • 4 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

This top-value holiday idea combines two safari areas with a week on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar. Photograph lions and elephants, then relax under the palms on a powder-sand beach.

US$5,460 - US$6,830 per person

Inspire me

Need inspiration?

Let our trip chooser narrow down the options for you

Inspire me

Other excursions in Zanzibar

Inspiration and great ideas for other experiences in Zanzibar to include in your holiday.


Stone Town Discovery Tour

Stone Town Discovery Tour

Half-day

Spend a morning wandering through Stone Town’s maze of alleyways with an erudite Zanzibari resident, meeting the locals, marvelling at its fusion of architecture and cultures, learning about the food, music, beliefs and everyday life, for an utterly fascinating experience.

More about Stone Town Tour
89% (21 reviews)
Princess Salme Spice Tour

Princess Salme Spice Tour

Half-day

Discover the captivating story of the smart and rebellious Princess Sayyida Salme, the youngest daughter of Sultan Said. Join a knowledgeable local guide to follow in her footsteps through palaces and plantations, as well as the fascinating Zanzibar spice trade on a working plantation.

More about Princess Spice Tour
91% (7 reviews)
Jozani Forest Tour

Jozani Forest Tour

Half-day or combine with other tours

For nature lovers, Jozani Forest is a must. One of the last sanctuaries of the red colobus monkey, it features a diverse range of habitats, from mangrove forests to salt marshes. Keep your eyes peeled for other forest residents, including Sykes’ monkey, bushbabies, duikers and more than 40 species of bird.

More about Jozani Forest
64% (5 reviews)
Zanzibar Dhow Safari

Zanzibar Dhow Safari

Full day - approx. eight hours

Discover the coast and islands of the Menai Bay from a traditional Zanzibari dhow. Explore this beautiful marine conservation area with a local guide, snorkelling over coral reefs, swimming through mangrove lagoons and keeping an eye out for dolphins. To top it all, you’ll also be treated to a fabulous beach barbecue.

More about Zanzibar Dhow Safari
80% (1 reviews)
Prison Island Tour

Prison Island Tour

Half-day

Escape the hustle and bustle of Stone Town on a 30-minute boat ride to Changuu Island, now commonly known as Prison Island. This is your chance to find out about the darker side of Zanzibar history, as well as to get up close with the island’s Aldabra giant tortoises, and to engage in a spot of coastal snorkelling.

More about Prison Island
Jambiani Village Tour

Jambiani Village Tour

Half-day - mornings

Tear yourself away from the soft white sands of Zanzibar to get under the skin of the history and culture of Jambiani village. Join a knowledgeable local guide to discover the intricacies of day-to-day life in this traditional coastal village, with much of the profits being ploughed back into the community.

More about Village Tour

Zanzibar fact file

Useful information to help you prepare for your trip in Zanzibar


Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team