Cookies! They are not just something we eat. This site uses cookies so we can provide you the best user experience and deliver advertising and offers that are relevant to you. To read more about our cookie policy, including how to change your cookie settings, please read our Privacy and Cookie Policy. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our cookie policy.
I accept
VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Grace

Nairobi, Kenya

USD
$50-$94 per person

Kikuyu tribal cooking class in Nairobi with a local

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Grace

Grace learned to cook from her mother and grandmother when she was a young girl. Her love for cooking grew when she got married and learned additional cooking skills from her late husband who was a great cook. Grace lives with her daughter in the outskirts of Nairobi city and currently works for an NGO that offers business training to women. Sharing cultures and making people feel at home when they are away from their home is what she most enjoys about hosting travelers. Apart from cooking Grace also loves to read and swim.

Get a glimpse into a typical Kenyan household and experience the Kenyan lifestyle and cuisine during this private, authentic food experience.

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: (1-4 guests) Grace lives in a simple, modest Kenyan household in Kikuyu, a suburb about 30 minutes from Nairobi center. Her home has a large living room with many couches for chatting, swapping stories, and tasting Kenyan cuisine. Being on the outskirts of the city, her apartment block has a nice view of the green agricultural land.

Grace likes to showcase traditional Kenyan cuisine - both the kind of food her mother cooked when she was growing up as well as dishes from different tribes. Grace says that the traditional food of Kenya is as mixed and diverse as its tribes, history and landscapes. Your menu might include dishes such as ugali (mashed cornflour) or Kenyan pilau (spiced rice), meat stew, githeri (beans and corn) or mukimo (mashed potatoes and greens), and matoke (fried plantains and potatoes).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Join Grace in her modestly sized kitchen to cook a traditional tribal meal. Please note that because Grace’s kitchen is very small she will be doing most of the cooking while you watch. She will have you help whenever possible. Due to space constraints this is more of cooking demonstration rather than a hands-on cooking class. Grace will share wonderful stories about her grandmother (who is over 100 years old!) making mukimo for the family, and other variations of the dish that you can make with pantry ingredients. Learn to cook mukimo (mashed potatoes and greens) or ugali (mashed corn flour mixed with water) or pilau (spiced rice) and local vegetables during this one hour authentic Kenyan cooking demonstration in a local home.

Market visit: (1-4 guests) Meet Grace at her home and together take a cab to the nearby Kikuyu market. The Kikuyu market is in the Kikuyu town - it’s not a big market but has all the ingredients necessary for your cooking class. This a small, basic market that locals frequent to buy vegetables, fruits and other ingredients needed to cook a Kikuyu tribal meal. You will purchase a few ingredients at the market and head back to Grace's home to cook or eat together, depending on the experience chosen.

Notes: Grace lives in the suburbs of Nairobi, a 30-45 minute drive from Nairobi city center (depending on traffic). The location is not easy to find via public bus, however, Uber and other taxis do go there. Please note that her apartment is on a long rough dirt road. The dirt road might be difficult for smaller sedan taxis especially during the rainy season.

Grace can also arrange transport for you - she is happy to offer hotel pick up and drop off at an additional cost. If you would like this option please select "Yes" to transportation in the booking form.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose 1 from the below three menus:
  • 1. Mukimo (a Kenyan meal prepared by mashing potatoes, green vegetables, maize and beans), beef and kachumbari (a fresh tomato and onion salad)
  • 2. Ugali (cornmeal porridge), fish (fried with tomatoes, onions, and green pepper) and local green veggies
  • 3. Pilau (spiced rice mixed with beef), pan fried green, red and yellow peppers or steamed cabbage and matoke (fried green banana)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Grace learned how to cook from her grandmother who is still cooking at the age of 100! Together, we cooked mokimo – a mixture of potatoes, beans, maize, onions and local green vegetables. Definitely the best mokimo that I’ve had in the 5 years I’ve been here! This filling and vibrantly green mixture is a common dish throughout East Africa, but is more commonly found in Central Kenya among Kikuyus. Grace’s home is very tidy and welcoming, located in a suburb of Nairobi called Kikuyu. For those new to Kenya, the drive into Kikuyu town will give you a more accurate view of typical local life, and give you some nice greenery on the drive. In a big city like Nairobi, it may be easy to assume that most residents shop at the big fancy shopping malls, but in fact, this experience will give you a more accurate look at life for majority of city residents. Grace has worked most recently for an NGO with a lot of international volunteers, and is a great conversationalist.”

Alison, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (3)
This experience is probably one of my favorites out of all my travels anywhere in the world. Grace was super welcoming. The food we cooked was so tasty. Im still not convinced she didn’t season our veggies with just salt and onions because I’ve never had spinach and kale taste so good with so little added. We made ugali and she explained the significance of that for Kenyans. Her baby was there and she’s super sweet and intelligent. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at her place and highly recommend!!
- Phaed April 01, 2022
Great unique authentic experience. Loved it. My daughter 11 years was not convinced in front but from the start on she loved it.
- Daydreamer March 19, 2022
Grace was an excellent host and being able to go to her local market and home was a very, very special experience. Doing this cooking experience was an actual cultural experience even many come for Safaris.
- Pam Garza October 16, 2019
C1b5eb87 f695 4006 9444 d2711f5d8145

Grace

$50-$94 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $60 $50 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $94 $84 Not offered
Transportation
 $66 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $60 $50 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $94 $84 Not offered
Transportation
 $66 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 10:00am-12:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-12:00pm

Meet Grace

Grace learned to cook from her mother and grandmother when she was a young girl. Her love for cooking grew when she got married and learned additional cooking skills from her late husband who was a great cook. Grace lives with her daughter in the outskirts of Nairobi city and currently works for an NGO that offers business training to women. Sharing cultures and making people feel at home when they are away from their home is what she most enjoys about hosting travelers. Apart from cooking Grace also loves to read and swim.

Get a glimpse into a typical Kenyan household and experience the Kenyan lifestyle and cuisine during this private, authentic food experience.

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: (1-4 guests) Grace lives in a simple, modest Kenyan household in Kikuyu, a suburb about 30 minutes from Nairobi center. Her home has a large living room with many couches for chatting, swapping stories, and tasting Kenyan cuisine. Being on the outskirts of the city, her apartment block has a nice view of the green agricultural land.

Grace likes to showcase traditional Kenyan cuisine - both the kind of food her mother cooked when she was growing up as well as dishes from different tribes. Grace says that the traditional food of Kenya is as mixed and diverse as its tribes, history and landscapes. Your menu might include dishes such as ugali (mashed cornflour) or Kenyan pilau (spiced rice), meat stew, githeri (beans and corn) or mukimo (mashed potatoes and greens), and matoke (fried plantains and potatoes).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Join Grace in her modestly sized kitchen to cook a traditional tribal meal. Please note that because Grace’s kitchen is very small she will be doing most of the cooking while you watch. She will have you help whenever possible. Due to space constraints this is more of cooking demonstration rather than a hands-on cooking class. Grace will share wonderful stories about her grandmother (who is over 100 years old!) making mukimo for the family, and other variations of the dish that you can make with pantry ingredients. Learn to cook mukimo (mashed potatoes and greens) or ugali (mashed corn flour mixed with water) or pilau (spiced rice) and local vegetables during this one hour authentic Kenyan cooking demonstration in a local home.

Market visit: (1-4 guests) Meet Grace at her home and together take a cab to the nearby Kikuyu market. The Kikuyu market is in the Kikuyu town - it’s not a big market but has all the ingredients necessary for your cooking class. This a small, basic market that locals frequent to buy vegetables, fruits and other ingredients needed to cook a Kikuyu tribal meal. You will purchase a few ingredients at the market and head back to Grace's home to cook or eat together, depending on the experience chosen.

Notes: Grace lives in the suburbs of Nairobi, a 30-45 minute drive from Nairobi city center (depending on traffic). The location is not easy to find via public bus, however, Uber and other taxis do go there. Please note that her apartment is on a long rough dirt road. The dirt road might be difficult for smaller sedan taxis especially during the rainy season.

Grace can also arrange transport for you - she is happy to offer hotel pick up and drop off at an additional cost. If you would like this option please select "Yes" to transportation in the booking form.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose 1 from the below three menus:
  • 1. Mukimo (a Kenyan meal prepared by mashing potatoes, green vegetables, maize and beans), beef and kachumbari (a fresh tomato and onion salad)
  • 2. Ugali (cornmeal porridge), fish (fried with tomatoes, onions, and green pepper) and local green veggies
  • 3. Pilau (spiced rice mixed with beef), pan fried green, red and yellow peppers or steamed cabbage and matoke (fried green banana)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Grace learned how to cook from her grandmother who is still cooking at the age of 100! Together, we cooked mokimo – a mixture of potatoes, beans, maize, onions and local green vegetables. Definitely the best mokimo that I’ve had in the 5 years I’ve been here! This filling and vibrantly green mixture is a common dish throughout East Africa, but is more commonly found in Central Kenya among Kikuyus. Grace’s home is very tidy and welcoming, located in a suburb of Nairobi called Kikuyu. For those new to Kenya, the drive into Kikuyu town will give you a more accurate view of typical local life, and give you some nice greenery on the drive. In a big city like Nairobi, it may be easy to assume that most residents shop at the big fancy shopping malls, but in fact, this experience will give you a more accurate look at life for majority of city residents. Grace has worked most recently for an NGO with a lot of international volunteers, and is a great conversationalist.”

Alison, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (3)
This experience is probably one of my favorites out of all my travels anywhere in the world. Grace was super welcoming. The food we cooked was so tasty. Im still not convinced she didn’t season our veggies with just salt and onions because I’ve never had spinach and kale taste so good with so little added. We made ugali and she explained the significance of that for Kenyans. Her baby was there and she’s super sweet and intelligent. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at her place and highly recommend!!
- Phaed April 01, 2022
Great unique authentic experience. Loved it. My daughter 11 years was not convinced in front but from the start on she loved it.
- Daydreamer March 19, 2022
Grace was an excellent host and being able to go to her local market and home was a very, very special experience. Doing this cooking experience was an actual cultural experience even many come for Safaris.
- Pam Garza October 16, 2019
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $60 $50 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $94 $84 Not offered
Transportation
 $66 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $60 $50 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 $76 $66 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $94 $84 Not offered
Transportation
 $66 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 10:00am-12:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-12:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.