AIRBNB EXPERIENCE: TASTE MALAY DISHES WITH A HOME COOK
DURATION: 3 hours PROVIDED: Lunch and non-alcoholic beverages TAKE: Nothing except a fun-loving attitude and a willingness to learn (and a camera/phone to take pics) COST: R999 per person
Although I love food, I’m not great in the kitchen. (Luckily, my husband is happy to don the apron in our household.) But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn more about cooking. Having lived in Cape Town for most of my life, I’m a big Cape Malay cuisine fan, so I was excited to join Fayruza Abraham’s Airbnb experience – a Cape Malay-inspired cooking lesson in her Bo-Kaap home.
Fayruza, it turns out, has a fascinating backstory: she held
a number of careers, from airline stewardess to general manager at a security company, before she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Though completely treatable, her illness made her re-evaluate her lifestyle. She gave up her day job but, as a single mom, had to find a way to provide for her family that wouldn’t interfere with her health.
Her niece suggested she rent out a room in her home on Airbnb, and that’s when she discovered Airbnb experiences. She’s been cooking since she was a child, and decided to use her skills in the kitchen to teach others about the Bo-Kaap community, Cape Malay history and food.
I’m joined by an American couple with three young children and a couple from Joburg. Fayruza starts with a toast: we all receive a small glass of falooda (a celebratory milky drink flavoured with rose water and syrup, and sabja seeds). And then it’s time to cook.
Today’s menu is traditional Cape Malay fare – samosas and chilli bites with sambal, chicken curry and rotis, and a special dessert treat: koesisters. Home cooking doesn’t have to be perfect, says Fayruza, what is important, is sharing stories over food. She encourages imperfections more than anything. (A bonus, both for me and the children who take part!)
It’s finally time to sit down and eat. It’s a great feeling to know you made some of it yourself.
Not only did I learn the art of folding samosas – trickier than it looks – but I also discovered more about the Bo-Kaap and its community which, after years of struggling against the surge of gentrification, is finally on its way to getting the area named a national heritage site. Hopefully this will help families like Fayruza’s, who have lived in their homes for generations, hold on to their community. It’s easy to see why Fayruza’s experience is so popular (it has received more than 130 fivestar reviews). I’d gladly do it again.