Traditional Tanzanian cooking class with a local family in Moshi

Meet Marissa

The very first time Marissa visited her husband William’s modest hut, she fell in love with the beautiful and delicious meal prepared by Shida (her mother in law). Shida’s wonderful cooking, care and hospitality was something Marissa could never forget. So when William and she decided to move back to Tanzania (from the US), she wanted travelers to experience what she did when she first visited. Marissa describes her mother in law, Shida as an incredible woman, with an ear to ear smile, who simply loves to cook and share food with others. Marissa wants everyone visiting Moshi to be able to experience what she does being American – being part of a beautiful Tanzanian family, understanding how the food is sourced and cooked and sharing a home-cooked meal together! Shida is excited to share more about her beautiful culture, introduce you the extended family (grandma, daughter, cousins, etc.) and feed you in her simple home, as her own! Marissa hosts with her husband William and his family. On days that Marissa is not available, her husband William will be your host.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Shida, Marissa and William live in a simple, modest home in a small village in Moshi. We recommend starting your tour in Tanzania with an experience in Shida’s village of traditional mud houses. This will give you a better sense of the local food, culture and way of life. You will enjoy your meal outside on small benches with the entire family. Ugali (a traditional corn meal cake) is usually eaten communal style, with each person picking off from the main cake with their hand, rolling it into a soft ball, and then using it as a spoon to scoop up vegetables or stew. A few other dishes that you may try are local fruits (mango, avocado), uji (a local porridge made from a mix of millet, corn, peanuts and wheat, served hot in a teacup with a pinch of sugar), mtori (beef and green banana stew) and rice with spiced beans. Some of these dishes are cooked in coconut milk and simmered over a wood fire, giving it a very distinct and delicious flavor! After your meal, you will be served kashata and kawaha (Tanzanian peanut brittle and coffee). This ritual of eating a small piece of peanut brittle and drinking a small cup of coffee, usually takes place in town as the men are leaving their shops to go home. You will end your experience by sharing Shida’s local brew that is enjoyed sitting in a mud hut with friends and family.

Cooking experience: (1-10 guests) In your one hour hands-on cooking class, help Shida to prepare fresh coconut milk using a traditional tool called 'buzi', it is a small wooden seat with a sharp grinder at the end that is used to shave the coconut meat. The coconut milk is used to prepare the vegetables and stew dishes. Then learn to make ugali, a traditional corn meal dish that is served with sauteed vegetables. Shida loves cooking this for her family. Making Ugali is an art, and is simple but labor intensive, a real treat to learn!

Market visit: (1-6 guests) William will take you to the main market, where you will be introduced to locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs. Learn more about the ingredients on sale and how it is used in the traditional cooking process, while you walk around the market area with your hosts. Stop at some of their favourite vendor shops to buy ingredients for your cooking class. Then walk back or take a tuk tuk from the market to Shida's home, which is about 20 minutes away.

Notes: Shida does not speak any English so her son, William and/or her daughter in law, Marissa will be there to interpret. Shida makes her own beer! It is basically fermented grain porridge. It will be included in your meal; however it is not advised to consume a ton of this stuff. If you would like local beer (pasteurized and bottled) instead, there will be an additional cost. Please click on the alcohol button in your booking form to opt for local beer, at an additional cost.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal meals can be provided, if informed in advance.

Languages spoken: English, Kiswahili

Sample menu

• Appetizer - Uji with tamarind and black pepper or Fried bananas and cassava with pili pili (hot) sauce
• Main Dish - Ugali with beef stew or vegetable soup or Mtori (banana stew)
• Fresh fruit
• Dessert - Kahawa and Kashata (coffee and peanut brittle)
• Drink - Local brew (made from fermented bananas and grains...if you're a Kombucha fan, you'll love it!)

Traveler reviews

This whole experience was amazing. William picked my husband and I up from our lodge and took us through the local market to pick up some ingredients before travelling to his Mum's house where we started cooking with his Mum, Marissa and his family. We learnt how to make banana stew and local beef curry, including making coconut milk from scratch. We felt incredibly welcomed into their family and learnt a lot about their family, local cooking style and Tanzania. This was a memorable experience and I would recommend to anyone travelling to Moshi.

- Julie S September 19, 2022

This experience was a perfect way to wrap up our Tanzania trip! William (a local Tanzanian and Marissa’s husband) picked us up and took us through the market where he showed us local ingredients and let us try fruits and other items. He then took us to his mother’s house where we helped her prepare a delicious traditional Tanzanian meal!! Did I mention it was delicious?? We also for to try her home brewed banana beer as we cooked! I would absolutely do this again!! Thank you for a wonderful time!!

- Rachel_B June 09, 2022

William and his son picked us up from our hotel and brought us to the market to try many foods like peas, sardines, tamarind, fruits and more. It was a great way to see how the people of Moshi live. Then he brought us to his mothers house where we met Marissa and her girls. We had appetizers and then the kids took off to play. We got to learn the process of coconut milk, ugali, beef stew and more. Taught how to use ugali when you eat, dessert, and kids placed jelly bean boozle that we brought from USA. Highly recommended activity to do when in Moshi.

- val0rih September 06, 2021

Amazing authentic cooking experience!! This was an incredibly welcoming and awesome experience from the start! William (Marissa’s husband) met us at a local coffee shop to drive us to his mother’s home in a village right near downtown Moshi. His mother welcomed us into her home with lots of other family members and neighbors. We felt like family too! We had made suggestions about types of foods that we wanted to learn about and they were incredibly accommodating. It was a wonderful hands on experience and really fun to learn how to make foods that we had already been eating (and love) in Tanzania. We also enjoyed spending time with Marissa and William’s two adorable children and other family members. We were also very impressed that they were able to easily accommodate a severe food allergy without hesitation. If you are looking for a unique, authentic experience, look no further. You found it! This experience will go above and beyond!

- Eaohubbard February 24, 2020

This was an incredibly welcoming and awesome experience from the start! William (Marissa’s husband) met us at a local coffee shop to drive us to his mother’s home in a village right near downtown Moshi. His mother welcomed us into her home with lots of other family members and neighbors. We felt like family too! We had made suggestions about types of foods that we wanted to learn about and they were incredibly accommodating. It was a wonderful hands on experience and really fun to learn how to make foods that we had already been eating (and love) in Tanzania. We also enjoyed spending time with Marissa and William’s two adorable children and other family members. We were also very impressed that they were able to easily accommodate a severe food allergy without hesitation. If you are looking for a unique, authentic experience, look no further. You found it! This experience will go above and beyond!

- Elizabeth February 24, 2020