The Perpetual Souvenir

When traveling, I find that cooking classes are a great way to get to know a piece of a culture and have something to take back with you that can be shared over and over again.

Now there are full blown cooking schools and then there are simple ½ day classes as well as variations in between. All are beneficial and fun, it just depends on how much of your travel time you want to devote to this one aspect of the travel experience.

Some popular cuisines for cookery schools are French, Tuscan and Thai, but really any where you go has something unique to offer.


All four of the following are excellent schools offered by Orient Express hotels.

Tuscany -
http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/ovil/cookery_courses.jsp

England -
http://www.orient-express.com/web/olem/olem_c5a_introduction.jsp

San Miguel -
http://www.sazon.com/web/osaz/osaz_a2a_home.jsp

Venice -
http://www.hotelcipriani.com/web/ocip/ocip_c7d_cookery_classes.jsp

Each of these schools offer both shorter and longer, more involved classes. There really is something for everyone – including children.

I also love the classes offered at the Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai/leisure/culinary/ .

It is a fairy tale hotel beyond description and the classes are fantastic.

Local restaurants will also typically provide ½ day courses. Want to learn how to make the best BBQ in St. Louis or the best bread in Provence? Every destination has a culinary gift to offer. Restaurant based classes are great too because you will usually walk to the local market with the chef, learn about the local ingredients while shopping, then return to the restaurant to prepare a meal. And then of course, the best part, you get to eat!

Wherever your travels take you, consider a cooking class as a part of your experience. It is a souvenir that you can share with your friends and family over and over again.

Bon Appetite!