Highlights
- Immerse yourself in Zambian culture with a market tour and cooking class
- Explore the bustling New Soweto Market with a local host and buy ingredients
- Learn to cook traditional Zambian dishes over a charcoal brazier
- Choose from 4 authentic meal plans and enjoy a communal meal with locals
- Discover the cultural stories behind each dish and enjoy a meal together
Description
Forget staged tourist cooking classes. This is an unscripted, authentic dive into Zambian township life—and you are in charge of the menu!
Your adventure begins at the bustling New Soweto Market, Zambia's most vibrant traditional hub. Here, you won't be handed a pre-set recipe card. Guided by our expert local chef, Elizabeth, you will wander through the lively stalls, interact with local vendors, and let your cravings guide you. Discover exotic ingredients, from fresh kapenta fish and tender cuts of beef or goat to vibrant chibwabwa (pumpkin) leaves. Whatever catches your eye and sparks your appetite is what you will buy—and exactly what we will cook!
Once your baskets are full of your hand-picked ingredients, jump into a car for a short 20-minute drive deep into the heart of a real Lusaka township. Welcome to Elizabeth’s home: a genuine local house perfectly adapted for a traditional Zambian culinary experience.
Set in a peaceful courtyard shaded by mango trees, your cooking station awaits. Depending entirely on your market haul, Chef Elizabeth will adapt the day's menu. She will teach you how to fire up your own traditional charcoal brazier and transform your chosen ingredients into a masterpiece. Whether your shopping trip leads to a rich chicken stew, crispy kapenta, savory goat with greens, or perfectly grilled bream—always paired with the essential nshima—Elizabeth will guide you through the techniques and the cultural stories simmered into every bite.
End the day by gathering on traditional woven mats beneath the mango trees. Share the unique feast you built from scratch with your group.
This isn't just a meal; this is Ubuntu. This is real Zambian hospitality.
Includes
Our meeting point is the main entrance of the Protea Hotel by Marriott, on Cairo Road — a central and easy-to-find landmark in the heart of Lusaka. For a safe, reliable, and very affordable ride, we strongly recommend using the 'InDrive' app — it works just like Uber. We'll send you detailed instructions via WhatsApp to make your arrival completely stress-free.
Guided walking tour from meeting point to New Soweto Market
Guided tour of New Soweto Market with local host Elizabeth
All fresh ingredients bought at New Soweto Market
Private transportation
Car transfer from market to Elizabeth's township home
Hands-on cooking experience over traditional charcoal brazier (mbaula)
Choice of 1 of 4 authentic Zambian meal plans
Full recipe explanation and cultural storytelling by local host
Lunch
Communal meal — eat together what you cooked
Return transfer from Elizabeth's home after the Meal
Excludes
Alcoholic Beverages
Personal travel insurance
Important Information
- No need to worry about your ride back! Once you are completely full and ready to head out, we will arrange and pay for your return taxi, ensuring a smooth, safe, and comfortable end to your Zambian culinary adventure.
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
