Private Ugandan Food Cooking Class and Culture Experience

A great experience with bubbly host Sylvia - Mama Muzungu - whose happiness and enthusiasm is incredible! We started the tour with a visit to the local market which is walking distance from Mama’s house. With assistance from her son Sam we bought all the ingredients for the meal. All of Mama’s family help out making the lunch too. We made a chicken stew (purchased live and “prepared” at the market) with groundnut sauce; vegetables such as mashed green bananas, nketi (a cross between spinach and kale) and sweet potatoes steamed in banana leaves; Ugandan style rice; and chapatis, with rolex (omelette wraps) being a mid-morning snack and cold water to wash it all down. The amount of food was enough to feed an army! The emphasis is on cooking in the style used in rural Ugandan villages, so mainly cooked with firewood and charcoal. Whilst the experience is amazing and the whole point is to get some insight into Ugandan traditional cooking, we felt the actual food was a little bit bland. Suppose it’s a balance between authenticity and flavour but we felt Mama could maybe add some spices for additional taste but make it crystal clear this would not be what would happen traditionally. The tour runs from around 1000, the first hour involves the market visit (great opportunity to take photos) close to Mama’s house, then it's cooking for 3 hours and eating until the early afternoon

Mama Sylvia was so welcoming and inviting. Her children and extended family joined in. It was a complete family affair! And thank goodness for that as my friend and I aren’t the best assets in the kitchen and we would have probably been there for days trying to accomplish all the work that goes into the traditional family style local cuisine. It was a complete immersion into local life in Uganda with such a welcoming and lovely family!

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Sylvia and her family. It’s a must-do in Entebbe for anyone with an interest in food or cooking. Sylvia, Sam and Thomas were fantastic teachers and everything was delicious. Sylvia’s family are kind, welcoming and fun and we enjoyed every moment of our time with them. Would highly recommend!

I can’t express how amazing this was. Sylvia (mama) is a truly talented teacher & an amazing person with an infectious smile. We had such an incredible time and felt like part of the family. Prepare to immerse yourself in Ugandan culture and food. We walked to the nearby market to get the ingredients then helped prepare dinner. So many laughs and stories were shared. And the food was fabulous. Thank you mama!!!! 💜💜

Sylvia (or mama, as we called her) was the absolute best teacher you could have. This cooking class is worth every penny. We got to spend quality time with one of the kindest people you will ever meet, all while she and her family teach you to make delicious food. It was a true and beautiful authentic experience, and we would absolutely do it again!

Thank you Mama Mzungu and your co-chefs! I really enjoyed your company and learned a lot of traditional cooking with your patient adwices. Food was so tasteful!

What a special experience! Going to the market with Sylvia, and then sharing stories and cooking techniques over a 4 hour period. A delicious immersion into the culture.

A truly genuine experience of how local people live and interact. The friendliness and warmth shown to me by Sylvia (known affectionately as ‘Mama Mzungu’ in the village market) and her family and friends was fantastic. I would recommend doing this cooking class with Sylvia if you are in the Entebbe or Kampala region. Thank you Mama Mzungu for a great fun experience…

A great experience and wonderful food, with an amazing host Sylvia whose happiness and enthusiasm was infectious ! The tour is worth the money for the visit to the market alone, buying all the ingredients and also the firewood. Sylvia's family help out too. We made a chicken stew (and watched the chicken being slaughtered at the market !) with groundnut sauce; vegetables such as mashed green bananas, nketi (a cross between spinach and kale) and sweet potatoes steamed in banana leaves; Ugandan style rice; and chapatis, with rolex (omelette wraps) being a mid-morning snack and fresh passion fruit juice to wash it all down. The amount of food was enough to feed an army, I was grateful for Sylvia's family for finishing it all off ! The emphasis is on cooking in the style used in rural Ugandan villages, so all cooked with firewood and charcoal, no gas here ! Absolutely delicious. If I did it again, I'd make sure to have a few cold beers, although as the course is hosted in Sylvia's guesthouse, perhaps she has a few for sale in the guesthouse bar. The tour runs from around 0900, the first hour involves the market visit (great opportunity to take photos) close to Sylvia's house, then it's cooking for 3 hours and eating until the early afternoon. Highly recommended and excellent value for money !

I took the cooking class on 16 Jan 2026 with Sylvia on my first day in Uganda, and this amazing experience set the tone for the entire trip. She taught me how to make matooke, g-nut sauce, onion/garlic rice, chapati, and a few other things. Some of her friends and family joined us in the kitchen to help, and it was so much fun listening to music, dancing, laughing, and eating what we prepared. Thank you for an amazing experience! :-)