Cooking Classes: A Luxury Activity While Travelling

Have you taken cooking classes while travelling before? Whenever I travel, I always have a food tour scheduled for at least each country that I visit. I believe that you understand more about the country through their cuisine. It wasn’t until I went to Thailand and Vietnam that I really appreciated my food tours more. With the cooking classes that are offered, you get to experience the a tour of the local markets. This also included an in-depth explanation of the ingredients that make their food what it is.

From learning how to make Khao Soi in Thailand to eating pastel de nata in Lisbon, breaking bread with the locals is the best way to learn about a culture. For me, outside of training and working, cooking and baking are two of my favourite hobbies followed by eating. When I combine cooking and travelling, I’m in my element. I think it is a great way to disconnect for a few hours and fully engage yourself with the task at hand. It’s a great way to meet new people, learn new cooking techniques. I can’t wait to take more cooking classes as I continue my travels. For now, here are my reasons why I believe you should take a cooking class on your next trip.

What is Special About Cooking Classes

Some people believe that cooking classes are for people that have a lot of free time. Or are looking for a hobby. Others may believe that it is for the culinary elite. That could be further from the truth. These type of activities are for people who want to learn new skill and do something immersive for a few hours. It is also a great opportunity to enjoy a good meal that they cooked.

The one thing that this activity does that people don’t realise that it enhances your social life. As a solo traveller, I meet so many like-minded people through cooking classes. It’s an opportunity to connect with other food lovers and learn more about their travel stories in a relaxed setting. At the end, you share a meal together and connect with others during this shared experience. It doesn’t end there as it spills over into your personal life. If you love hosting dinner parties or other events, you can impress your guests with the tips and tricks learnt from the various cooking classes that you have taken over the years.

When I was in Porto, I took a wine-tasting tour with some friends in one of the port wine lodges and learnt about the production of the wine. That experience is also a great opportunity to meet people that are wine lovers and discover more about activities that you may have missed out on.

I mainly find cooking classes through Air BnB experiences, GetMyGuide or through other blog posts.

The Culture of the Country

With every food tour and cooking class that I have had the experience of taking, I have learnt a more about the culture. No matter where you are around the world, food is closely linked to it. Another food related experience that I participated in was having dinner at a chef’s house with a group of strangers.

There is something that makes you appreciate your trip more when you learn and cook the local cuisine. Overall, I believe that cooking classes are my favourite way to understand a city. In sum, I’m going to make it a priority to sign up for a class any time I travel.

Experiencing the Local Markets

Both of the cooking classes that I took included a tour of the local markets. I was able to learn what spices and ingredients were important to that country’s cuisines. Also, had the opportunity to taste a variety of fruits and vegetables that aren’t available in the country where I’m based. Experiencing the local markets expands your culinary knowledge, the history and the cultural significance of the local dishes.

When I was in Prague, I was on the hunt for local dishes. I tried this bread dumplings with a hearty stew dish. I always like to ask the chefs and the servers, what makes this meal important to them. Their dumplings also known as houskový knedlík are airy and light. This makes it easier to sop up their gravies and stews that are accompanied with a meat. A lot of the traditional foods in Eastern Europe are similarly related but distinct in their own ways. Moreover, the traditional foods in Czech Republic have heavily influenced by its climate and shared histories with other countries such as, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.

That’s the beauty of food. You’re learning about the regional variations, the stories that come with it and how it connects people from different cultures.

Cooking Classes Souvenirs

You leave with one of the best souvenirs and that is priceless. There is always something new to learn in the kitchen and you walk away with improved culinary skills. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned home cook, you are learning for experienced instructors for that cuisine. You might learn some time-saving tips, knife work skills or sauce making.

When I took my cooking class in Vietnam, we used big cooking chopsticks to make eggs, pho, beef, noodles etc. They didn’t give us a spatula as a cooking tool. We learnt how to flambé our beef without burning ourselves, how to rice water and rice paper. For the cooking class souvenir, we were given a cookbook of all the recipes that were available that day. Also, we were given our own cooking chopsticks! Since I have been back, I no longer use my spatula to make eggs. In Thailand, I brought back a variety of curry powder to make my curries from scratch at home and reminisce about my trip.

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I hope that this post has convinced you to try out a cooking class the next time that you travel somewhere. You don’t have to wait to go abroad to do this activity, you can find plenty of classes in your home country. For example, I’m going to a macarons baking class next month near Geneva. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi