Jollof Cooking Class in Dakar: Learn to Cook Like a Local

You cook every step of Jollof Rice with Fish, guided by hand through a Senegalese kitchen staple.

A three-hour cooking class in Dakar where you prepare Jollof Rice with Fish (or vegan) from start to finish under the instruction of an experienced local cook. You handle all the cooking yourself while the guide walks you through each step. Water and Bissap juice are provided, and lunch is included. A live guide speaks English or French, and the class requires a minimum of three participants on your date.

The experience

You arrive and spend three hours cooking the main dish of Senegal: Jollof Rice with Fish, made with carrots, eggplant, okra, spinach and cabbage. If you're vegan, the same vegetables go into the pot without the fish. The experienced cook stands beside you the whole time, showing you how to build the dish step by step, but you're the one holding the spoon. You'll sign a food waiver since you're doing 100% of the cooking, then get to work.

The class is small: if you book alone, you need at least two other guests on your date to run the session, though the operator will try to match you with other solo travelers booking the same day. You pick your guide's language (English or French) when you book. Water and Bissap (a tart sorrel juice) come with the class, and lunch is the Jollof Rice you just made.

What’s included

• Instruction from an experienced local cook.
• all ingredients for Jollof Rice with Fish or vegan Jollof Rice.
• bottled water and Bissap juice.
• lunch.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Child (11 to 17 years) · Under 11: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “For directions we use multiple locations,once you book we will send you the exact location of the cooking class 1-3 days before the date of the cooking class. The location on the map is not the exact location.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Authentic Jollof Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book this class if you want to learn by doing. You're cooking every step, not watching a demonstration. The three-hour session and the minimum group size of three mean you'll be working alongside other travelers, which shapes both the pace and the cost.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (11 to 17 years). Under 11: they can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I cook in this class?

Jollof Rice with Fish, the national dish of Senegal, made with vegetables like carrots, eggplant, okra, spinach and cabbage. Vegan cooks prepare the same dish without the fish, using the same vegetables.

Do I need cooking experience to join?

No. The guide teaches you step by step and you do all the cooking yourself. The guide is there to show you how, not to cook for you.

What's included in the three hours?

Your instruction, the ingredients for the dish you make, water and Bissap juice, and lunch: the Jollof Rice you cooked.

What happens if I'm the only person who books on my date?

The class needs a minimum of three people to run. If fewer than three book on your date, the operator will ask you to change your date or cancel. If other solo travelers book the same day, you'll be grouped together.