Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour

About Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour

Zainie Misbach has lived in the Bo Kaap all her life, which means that a walking tour with her around the neighbourhood is akin to experiencing the place like a local.

The Bo-Kaap is well-known for its colourful houses, numerous mosques, narrow cobbled streets and the atmosphere of a solid, Muslim community, even if the area is now more popular with students and expats.

The walkabout is just long enough to soak up the atmosphere, allowing plenty of time to return to Zainie's home for a hands-on cooking class, where the focus is on spices (acquired en route at the local spice shop), dhaltjies (chilli bites), samoosas, flat bread, rootis, babotie, and how to mix masala.

This is a wonderful way to learn the Cape Malay culture through its food. Particularly as Zainie will feel like an old friend – she's appeared on so many TV programmes (Pasella, KykNet, Jou Show met Emo) that you'll be convinced you recognise her from somewhere.

The Malay people are descendants of slaves and exiled dissidents, sent to South Africa by the Dutch from their various outposts, during the 17th and 18th centuries. Their spices and cooking have heavily influenced South African food.

The Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour starts at the Bokaap Museum, across the road from the Rose Corner Café, followed by a quick pitstop at the local spice shop, a stroll through the colourful streets and then on to Zainie's kitchen.

By the time you have listened to her stories, scrabbled to write down a couple of her local recipes (although she does give you a recipe booklet), and sampled her food, you'll have a much better idea of what it is to cook Cape Malay cuisine.