It’s time to get back to our roots, firmly planted in African soil. Our continent offers a massive variety of flavours and wholesome meals, many of which can be found in Cape Town. Forget European fine dining. This African Food and Storytelling Tour on Airbnb Experiences is the real deal.
Picture: Jasmine Halki/Flickr Commons
Guests visit traditional kitchens and street food vendors from five different countries on this three-hour tour (we recommend wearing loose-fitting clothes), all within walking distance from each other in the Cape Town CBD.
On the menu is Somalian, Ethiopian, Tanzanian and Senegalese as well as proudly South African isiXhosa cuisine. We kicked off with Somalian chapati (flat bread) with beans, and a cup of sweet tea, then enjoyed some homegrown isiXhosa umngqusho with chicken and vegetables. Next up was Tanzanian mandazi, a comforting fried doughnut/vetkoek hybrid served alongside peppered black tea.
The following Senegalese dish was an explosion of spices and aromas, including spaghetti served with peanut sauce and the famous West African jollof rice with beef, paired with hibiscus juice. Lastly, we headed with bulging bellies to indulge in fantastic Ethiopian injera (a sour pancake) with different meat and vegetable fillings.
A delectable feast, if there ever was one.
Our tour guide, the jovial Xhosa musician Khofhi The King, made sure we had a blast by throwing in a free performance and sharing his vast knowledge of the food and culture of each of the establishments on the tour.
‘We visit and celebrate African entrepreneurs and their achievements who have managed to create unique spaces of unity despite harsh conditions in a rapidly gentrifying and sometimes uninviting and even xenophobic environment,’ says host Dennis Molewa.
To book this tour or for more information, visit African Food and Storytelling Tour. For other exciting experiences across South Africa, check out airbnb.co.za/s/experiences
Rates: From R950 per person, includes all food and beverages.
Note: Restaurants might change depending on availability and group size.
Pictures: Airbnb
ALSO READ: A quintet of the Cape’s finest nature reserves
