It is not surprising that the cuisine of the “Spice Island” Zanzibar offers an exotic variety of aromas and tastes. For centuries, ships sailing the Indian Ocean brought peoples from Arabia, Persia, India and the African continent to Zanzibar. Zanzibar’s cuisine reflects this colourful mix of cultures and traditions. You will learn how to prepare some of Zanzibar’s rice and seafood dishes, snacks and sweets directly from a dedicated group of Stone Town women. Arabian coffee, Indian curries, and Masalas from Goa. Avocado, guava, and many exotic fruits & vegetables. Spices such as manioc, nutmeg and cinnamon alongside cashew nut and coconut are all amongst the everyday components which make up Zanzibar’s cuisine. Zanzibar’s famous rice dishes include Biryani, Mseto or Wali - but the unrivalled favourite, which is only cooked on special occasions, is Pilau, a rice dish meticulously flavoured with a variety of spices including cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and raisins. Octopus (pweza), swordfish (ndoaro), kingfish (nguru), lobster and praws (kamba), tuna (jodari), squid (ngisi), and seashells (chaza, makombe) are common seafood dishes often cooked in rich coconut sauce. Our Chakula Kizuri cooking lesson takes approximately 3-4 hours and includes a main dish, side dish, snack, and a sweet. From a variety of suggestions, you can choose the dishes you prefer in learning to cook. Your cooking instructor will be members from a local Stone Town’s women’s group. You can also book your complete culinary holiday in Zanzibar, which in addition to daily cooking lessons will include visits to markets, agricultural production sites and food tastings.