My favourite cookery schools from across the globe.
Food and travel go together hand in hand. It is almost impossible to travel without sampling local dishes and experiencing these traditional delicacies will take your taste buds on a journey of their own. Individual flavours can often be adjectives in themselves for a place and can help understand the way of life of its inhabitants. For example the vibrant curries of India, laced with aromatic spices, reflect its beautiful chaos, while earthy chillies of Mexico, lightened with fresh herbs and citrus, point towards the Aztec and Spanish influences in the country. Even the way food is prepared speaks for the people and their customs. Some dishes have a long history behind them, a story that is relived through generations by just a spoonful of sauce. Others are new, experimental plates that play with the palettes and moods of the country at the time, always evolving. Even within a country, food is like a regional dialect, varying ever so slightly depending where you visit. One of my favourite things to do whilst away is to experience a cooking course with the local people. Not only can you taste the food, but it is also an opportunity to talk to the people who have prepared this food for decades and what it means to them. Here are some of my favourite classes from across the globe:
Beit Sitti - Amman, Jordan
Beit Sitti literally means ‘Grandmother’s House’ and is home to a cookery school in the centre of Amman, Jordan. Run by three sisters (Maria, Dina and Tania), the home once belonged to their grandmother and they set up the school to keep her legacy going. In the summer months, the classes are set in the garden, where the sisters teach you to make local Arabic dishes such as tabbouleh, maaloubeh and hummus. My favourite dish was mouttabal shamandar, a beetroot hummus made without chickpeas. There is something truly magical about the evening classes, cooking under the stars while the city comes alive around you and I fell in love with the place as soon as I arrived. Joined by people from around the globe, you learn to cook together, producing a feast to devour at the end of the class. The courses are becoming increasingly popular and this is one of my ‘must dos’ when visiting the country.
During lockdown Beit Sitti was also offering online Zoom courses, however you will need to check if these are still running. I completed one in June and it was wonderful cooking in a class with people from three different continents on three different time zones, ranging from the USA to Hong Kong! See https://beitsitti.com for more details.
Lisbon Cooking Academy - Lisbon, Portugal
This cooking school is the perfect blend of modern and traditional, hidden within the decorative streets of Lisbon. They offer a variety of courses, from creating the famous Portuguese pastel de nata to the full ‘Mama’s Dinner’ course. I would personally recommend the Market Experience / Cooking Class. Here you go out with the chef (Ana or Rita) to the local market and choose the produce for your dishes before cooking them up. They will explain what foods to pick and why, and what they mean to the local people. It is a great way to meet the locals and understand more about where certain dishes came from.
Lisbon Cooking Academy was also doing online pastel de nata courses during lockdown every Thursday. Please check the website for more details on this at: https://lisboncookingacademy.com/en/.
Manju’s Cooking Class - Benglauru, India
Manju teaches a wide range of international cuisine from her home in Bangalore, but her local, South Indian dishes are superb. She has set up her own dining room into a small cooking school, which makes the whole experience even more authentic. Bringing your own drinks is encouraged, and the class is informal but sociable. If there is something particular you would like to cook then she is very much open to suggestions, my personal favourite was the paneer butter masala.
Manju was running online classes during lockdown, with regular classes expected to resume after COVID-19 is resolved. Please see her website for the current information: https://www.manjuscookingclass.com.
The Avenue Cookery School - London, England
Although it may not be as far away as some of the other cooking schools on my list, yet this school is more than worthy to be included. If you are unable to travel abroad, then this may be the perfect option. The Avenue teach a wide range of courses, from Mexican Street Food, to Vegan Bao. They often provide bottomless wine while cooking too! One of the real perks of this school is that you prepare your food in individual groups, as opposed to each contributing to one large dish. It means that you can’t blame anyone for your burnt falafel, but at the same time you can take pride in knowing each dish was your own creation. The eleven chefs take turns, running courses specialised in their culinary area, which means you are sure to create great food. Is it a wonderfully friendly atmosphere and can make you feel like you are travelling without leaving the country. I would personally recommend the Spanish Tapas Course. I attended this one over a year ago and still make the tortilla on a regular basis.
The Avenue Cookery School are very active on Instagram and during lockdown have been doing live streams of cooking classes for free! The school is now open again and classes are running as normal. See https://theavenuecookeryschool.com for more information.
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