This is a wonderful afternoon and evening experience which combines interactive cooking with unique experiences. You will be collected from Ilala Lodge Hotel around 15h30 and taken to the Zambezi Explorer Jetty Site. Here, you are enthusiastically greeted by the team and offered a beverage. Then it is straight down to cooking at your very own cooking station, complete with your own apron and spoon!
The goal of the afternoon is to make your own “potjie” which is a type of stew, that you make in a special “potjie” pot ( hence the name!).
In South Africa, a potjiekos means “small-pot food”, and is a dish prepared outdoors. It is traditionally cooked in a round, cast iron, three-legged pot, the potjie, descended from the Dutch oven brought from the Netherlands to South Africa in the 17th century and found in the homes and villages of people throughout southern Africa. During the early years of travelling across the continent by horseback, the heavy cast iron potjie pots were used to prepare, store and heat the pioneers’ food. The ingredients for a potjiekos, or as it is more commonly know, a potjie, are meat, potatoes and vegetables, which need to simmer for 3-6 hours on a fire, without being disturbed. Once the potjie was cooked, the travellers would then let the pot cool, all the fats and oils rising to the top which would create a cover that protected the meat and vegetable from rotting in the heat of the sun. Come evening time the pot would be warmed, served and cooled again – these pots could sometimes hold up to 13litres, feeding around 10 people for 1 week.
Your chef will show you how to prepare your potjie by making an example, adding the ingredients one by one and giving explanations. Each person is then able to prepare their own individual potjie, using a variety of fresh produce beautifully laid out on the riverside tables.
Whilst the potjie simmers on the fire, you take part in a unique experience of your choice:
- Pot & Paddle = Paddle downstream the Zambezi River on an inflatable raft
- Pot & Spot = A game drive in the Zambezi National Park
- Pot & Cruise = Sunset Cruise aboard the Zambezi Explorer (Signature Deck)
After your delightful experience you return to the jetty site, where the open-air kitchen has been transformed into a star-lit dining room. You are served your choice of starter, followed by your potjie (compliments to the chef!) and a surprise dessert.
All in all, a fabulous and fun way to spend the afternoon and evening in Victoria Falls. Please get in touch with our Activities office if you would like to book this foodie experience for yourself.
