Private Cape Malay Cooking Class

The Cape Malay table is the signature cuisine of Cape Town. It grew from the cooking of enslaved and exiled people brought to the Cape from Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Africa during the Dutch colonial period, and it blended their spices with Dutch and local ingredients into dishes such as bobotie, a spiced baked mince with an egg custard topping, aromatic curries, sweet yellow rice and malva pudding. This private class takes you to Lorette's home in Grassy Park, a suburb on the Cape Flats, for about three hours in her kitchen. The experience is supplied by the Traveling Spoon network of home cooks, and it works the way the best home classes do: you cook alongside your host, learn techniques that you can reproduce at home and then sit down to eat what you made. The menu on the booking page offers a starter of mini Cape Malay rotis with chicken curry or garlic braai bread, a choice of bobotie with yellow rice or a South African braai with lamb chops, boerewors and potato salad, and malva pudding with custard or cream for dessert. Local wine and transport are included. The class has a perfect five-star record on 32 reviews on the booking page, with guests praising the hospitality and the recipes they took home.

Why it is worth doing. Cape Town's food scene is full of fine dining, but the home kitchen is where Cape Malay cooking lives, and a private class gives you something a restaurant cannot: a conversation. Guests describe Lorette and her husband as warm hosts who talk about family, food and life in Cape Town, and many say the evening felt like being invited to dinner by friends.

It also lets you see a part of the city that most visitors never reach. Grassy Park is a residential neighbourhood, and the exact address is sent in the booking confirmation, with the host available to help with directions.

Practical details. The class is private, so only your group takes part. The booking page gives the duration as about three hours and notes that the transport is included, so confirm your pickup arrangements when you book. The page does not mention dietary accommodation, so if you are vegetarian, vegan, halal-sensitive or have allergies, message the host before the class so that the menu can be adapted.

Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start. Wear comfortable clothes and expect to be on your feet and handling food; bring an appetite, because the portions are generous.

Who it suits. This is an excellent choice for couples, small groups of friends and families with older children who enjoy cooking and want a cultural experience that goes beyond sightseeing. It pairs well with a morning in the Bo-Kaap, where you can see the colourful houses and learn the story of the Cape Malay community, and then spend the afternoon cooking its food.

If you prefer to eat your way around the city without cooking, the Bo-Kaap and De Waterkant food tour is the walking alternative. Either way, buy a bag of the spice mix at a market before you leave, and the dishes will taste like Cape Town long after the trip.