world food trip cooking school

A traveling foodie shares 5 of the world's best cooking classes

Apr 20, 2024 • 9 min read

Food writer, Malia Yoshioka, shares her guide to the world's best cookery courses © Anna Ewa Bieniek / Shutterstock

A cooking class booked in the first few days of your trip is the best way to get acquainted with a new destination. 

You’ll whet your appetite and set yourself up for everything else you will see, taste and experience during your trip. You can get restaurant recommendations from an expert to avoid tourist traps and you may even be invited into a local home. If you’re traveling solo , you will meet like-minded travelers. It’s true what Julia Child said: “People who love to eat are always the best people.”

Get curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Is this dish eaten often or just for special occasions? Does your host have a special twist or substitution that they make to the classic recipe? What comfort foods did they eat growing up? Who was the best cook in their family? Where’s the best place to get coffee tomorrow morning?

I’ve made it a point to take cooking classes all over the world as a part of my travels, and I find that I usually come away with so much more than just the recipes. Here are a few of my favorites.

Learn layers of history through Turkish dishes in Istanbul with Cookistan

Before our cooking class with Cookistan , we walked through the neighborhood of Kurtuluş . Though it's off the beaten path for most visitors to Istanbul , it is a perfect introduction to shopping and eating like a local in the city.

Our guide, Aysin, weaved in details about the first occupants of the area – a Greek shipbuilding community – and the various multicultural inhabitants who still maintain shops there. We stopped in front of a butcher specializing in offal cuts, complete with sheep’s heads in the window, an illustration of how all parts of the animal are utilized – nothing here is wasted. She explained how people cook with the seasons in Türkiye  as we stopped in to pick up artichokes from two men cleaning off a huge mountain of fresh ones in their shop. We salivated over counters of meze, pickles, jams and olive oils and I realized my stomach was growling. 

The dishes prepared in the course give Aysin and her instructors a way to speak about various aspects of Turkish cuisine. Dolma (vegetables and grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat) are an example of Anatolian home cooking, for example. Zeytinyagli enginar (artichoke braised in olive oil) represents a popular style of braised olive oil dishes. Circassian chicken, one of my all-time favorite meze, allowed Aysin to explain Türkiye’s meyhane (tavern) culture and how drinks and food go together over a shared table.

Ready to explore Istanbul? Get to know the city one neighborhood at a time with our guide

Make sushi and have a tea ceremony in Tokyo with Yukiko

One of my most memorable classes was in a suburb of Tokyo with Yukiko , who generously opens her home to guests for a taste of true Japanese culture. Leaving our shoes at the door, we entered the cozy living room, complete with family photos, the household altar and traditional shōji (sliding rice-paper screen doors). I instantly relaxed into the invitation to leave the busy city outside, to slow down, be present and enjoy.

Over the course of the class, guests learn a variety of styles of sushi and the proper way to prepare and cool the sushi rice. When it comes to food, anyone who has been to Japan will know that presentation is of utmost importance. Yukiko is also a vegetable sommelier so the delicately cut vegetables really steal the show. We enjoyed playing with small details in color and textures, such as the crunch of a fresh radish, tangy pickles, strips of red cabbage, and the delicate shiso leaf placed under a rice ball. Being able to see the process behind each piece made it much more meaningful every time I ordered sushi after the class, both on my trip and at home.

Perhaps most special of all, you are invited to dress in traditional kimono and to take part in a Japanese tea ceremony, with Yukiko explaining the proper etiquette and meaning behind every step. She is such a calm presence in her style of teaching, always smiling and warm, and genuinely pleased to help foreigners learn about Japanese cooking and culture.

Tempted by sushi and tea? Here are Japan's best food and drink experiences

Follow pasta and tiramisu recipes in Milan with Pasta Pietro

With just 24 hours on a recent trip to Milan , when searching for a cooking class, I wanted to be sure that I was getting both a meal and some entertainment. This led me to the fabulous Pasta Pietro , born and raised in Milan! Pietro is a character, and you can see on his social media  his love for the pastas of Italy. You’ll also often see cameos by his adorable twin boys and his mother, who taught him the recipes for the pasta and tiramisu that we’d be making in class. 

The eight participants gathered around a long table with the supplies we’d need to be churning out our own masterpieces and the casual setting gave us the feeling of being at a dinner party with food-loving friends. I was tasked with making a simple dough, mixing in flour from the sides into the egg well and letting the dough come together. We rolled out sheets of the pasta and cut them into round shapes. Pietro came through doling out jokes and anecdotes, to adjust our technique or demonstrate the rolling for our cavatelli.

By the end of the preparations we were all laughing as we helped to clear off the dishes and set the table, pasta boiling away on the stove. Finally, we sat down to finish off our tortelli with fresh parmesan cheese and wash it down with a glass of prosecco and our individual cups of tiramisu. We left with recommendations for the next time, new friends and full bellies.

Want to buy some treats while in Milan? Check out these top independent shops

Learn how to make khinkali and khachapuri in Tbilisi 

One of the most interesting things you’ll notice about the Georgian capital of Tbilisi are the beautiful, intricately carved balconies and hidden courtyards that you’ll pass, especially walking through older neighborhoods. So I was thrilled to find a cooking class in the old Sololaki neighborhood where we were able to actually walk up through one of these courtyards and into our new Georgian granny’s home for the afternoon.

The dining table was set up and Irina put the four of us right to work, chopping up herbs and onions for the filling for our khinkali (meat dumplings). We were able to learn about the different styles of khinkali –  some don’t contain herbs as we were using –  and it was interesting to learn the variations for future reference when confronted with choices on a menu. We learned tips along the way like how to judge the amount of water to add to the ground beef filling to be sure that the dumplings would have “soup” once boiled. The pace of the class was great and we all enjoyed focusing on our own folding skills when it came to preparing the actual dumplings.

We were so proud of our handiwork with the dumplings that we nearly forgot that we still had another dish to make  – the famous boat-shaped Adjaruli khachapuri –  a cheesy bread topped with butter and an egg yolk that you mix in just before eating. Again, this was just one of the regional variations of khachapuri and learning about the differences allowed us to seek out and try the others during our trip.

Create delicious  khăo soi  in Chiang Mai with Baan Thai Cookery School

Before going to Thailand , my experience with Thai dishes were from the basic red, green and yellow curries that I’d tried in Thai restaurants, or the ubiquitous pad thai noodles. Once I actually found myself wandering the streets in Bangkok , where these dishes were daily fare rather than a special occasion restaurant, it was eye-opening for me and I became excited to try something new. 

We started off our Baan Thai cooking class with a market tour and despite her tiny frame and oversized smile, our guide’s sing-song voice carried over the busy market stalls as we gathered ingredients and took them back to the class. There, the scent of freshly ground spices, chiles, lemongrass, turmeric, and ginger danced together in the fragrant spice mix of the curry. It was my very first cooking class and I simply loved the practicality of it all. Not only would we get a delicious meal out of the experience, but spend time with a local chef and learn about the ingredients in our favorite dishes too.

My favorite from our course was a regional specialty called khăo soi , a coconut curry dish with egg noodles from northern Thailand that I probably wouldn’t have ordered otherwise, preferring to stick to the things that I knew before. It was this class that set me off on my love of cooking classes around the world.

Need more inspiration? Here are Thailand's top food experiences

How to make the most of your perfect cooking class

• Use your research to learn about what foods are popular or most representative of your destination and get curious about why. Look into the ingredients and spices, and take lots of notes! 
• Opt for companies that are indigenous-run when possible, or led by locals with a deep connection to the place. I often will read the background of the chef in the listing itself and/or the comments by past participants in order to get an idea of what to expect. A local will be able to give you well-rounded recommendations for the rest of your stay as well.
• Consider a tip if you’re pleased with the experience. I’ve often felt that the classes I booked were worth way more than what I paid, so I often try to leave an additional gratuity if possible.
• Connect and engage with your host on social media and ask them to point you towards other local food blogs, cookbooks or websites that you can follow to continue to learn about your destination. 
• If you’re a language lover, food is the perfect introduction to learning a bit of the language on your trip. At a minimum, learn how to say “thank you” and “it’s delicious,” but if you’ve got more time, you can learn words for vegetables, meat, and flavors that will help you decode restaurant menus or on a trip to the supermarket. I sometimes will even buy a cookbook in the language of my destination and use that to learn cooking verbs like “add”, “fry” or “bake,” or measurements like cups or teaspoons.

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8 Immersive and Delicious Cooking Classes Around the World That Anyone Can Book

For food-obsessed travelers, these immersive experiences offer a thorough look into culinary arts, from smoking wild game in Sussex, England, to pickling vegetables in Vermont.

Courtesy of Away from the Ordinary

The pandemic transformed many home cooks into dynamos. At my house, we kneaded, glazed, and julienned our way through long months stuck inside, funneling frustration into dishes that served up bold flavors — and created fodder for our Instagram feeds.

With travel now on everyone’s mind, the quest for advanced cooking know-how has become a focal point for those booking trips. These expert-led culinary experiences offer participants the chance to get down and dirty with ingredients while acquiring skills for butchering, cheese making, fermentation, and more.

Foraging in the Hudson Valley

Courtesy of Deep Forest Wild Edible

Longtime chef turned forager James O’Neill leads three-hour excursions through New York’s Hudson Valley with his company, Deep Forest Wild Edible. The tours gather seasonal plants, including watercress, wild carrots, and multiple kinds of mushrooms, as well as edible flowers such as dandelions. O’Neill explains how to identify medicinal or poisonous species, and how to best prepare edibles for the table. Some workshops culminate in a picnic prepared by O’Neill using foraged ingredients.

Scottish Culinary Adventures

Tour operator Away from the Ordinary crafts artisanal food (and whisky) experiences in rural pockets of Scotland. On tap: craft butchery at the 650-acre family-run Peelham Farm , close to the coast of Berwickshire, where guests help break down a whole lamb and pig, then learn to air-dry and cure the meat. In southwestern Scotland at the Ethical Dairy , travelers can sign on for a full-day cheese-making course (one soft cheese, one hard), which includes a farm tour and lunch. Crannach Bakery , at the edge of Cairngorms National Park, offers a full-day class in bread making. Participants work through the various steps — fermenting, shaping, and proofing — to bake classic loaves, sweet breads, and buns.

Pizza and Pasta Making in Southern California

From left: Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn; Burgundy Blue/Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn

Set on 220 acres in the foothills of the Topatopa Mountains, Ojai Valley Inn is known for its serene atmosphere. But the sage-scented enclave is also a destination for epicureans, thanks to culinary workshops and collaborations with star chefs like Nancy Silverton and Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini. Neapolitan-style pizza classes involve making herbed ricotta and making dough from scratch using protein-rich Caputo 00 flour; for pasta classes, students craft the dough, shape it, and sauce it with pesto made with a mortar and pestle.

Wild Game in Sussex

The idea of skinning and preparing wild game in pastoral Sussex, about two hours south of London, piques the sense of adventure in many travelers. Now they can book an all-day session with Hunter Gather Cook . This is a rustic, mostly outdoor undertaking: guests forage through the forest; learn how to butcher deer, game birds, or rabbit; then try various smoking and wood-fired-cooking techniques. The group can celebrate a job well done with a “wild” cocktail crafted with found herbs like nettles and pineapple weed.

Crafting Sausages in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Courtesy of Chop Shop Butchery

From heritage-breed pork sourced within 12 miles of the premises to the neighborhood craft beer sampled before class, the Chop Shop Butchery , in Asheville, North Carolina, celebrates homegrown flavor in all its forms. The experience kicks off with a sampling of house-made charcuterie and beers. Next, participants head to the “cut room,” where they learn to season and grind the meat and stuff fresh casings. The end result is 2 1/2 pounds of links to take home.

Canning in Vermont

At the women-run Green Mountain Girls Farm , a two-hour course on the art of canning and preserving involves making vinegar brine, prepping the produce and spices, sterilizing jars, and monitoring temperatures. Participants go home with jars of dilly beans, giardiniera , and Mexican-style pickled carrots.

Smoking Meat in Kansas City

Champion pitmaster Richard McPeake’s four-hour “smokology” class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City shows barbecue enthusiasts how to pair meat with the right variety of wood — oak, hickory, or maple. The classes tackle timing and temperature, trimming ribs, shredding pork, and understanding the “four stages of flavor.”

Cheese Making in the Rockies

From her sun-dappled Briar Gate Farm in Longmont, Colorado, Kate Johnson, founder of the Art of Cheese , hosts tastings, teaches workshops, and leads tours to introduce students to her herd of Nubian goats. One class on the property, which is about 30 minutes from Boulder, focuses on making mozzarella, stracciatella , and burrata; another looks at crafting and waxing hard cheeses; a third is all about farm-to-table milking and ricotta making.

A version of this story first appeared in the September 2022 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Class Is in Session.”

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A Culinary Delight in the Heart of Parma Italy

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Gastronomic Vacation in Paris

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Let’s Eat the World together! Welcome to the home of the culinary experience you always dreamt of. Hello, I am a culinary travel agent and culinary experience creator with over 20 years of expertise in the food and hospitality industry. Cooking, traveling, and entertaining are my passions, and I enjoy creating unforgettable experiences for my clients.

Let’s Eat The World is a travel agency specializing in curating bespoke exclusive itineraries that take travel lovers like you on culinary journies around the world. My extensive network of local chefs, food experts, and guides in different countries allows me to offer unique and authentic culinary experiences that go beyond the typical tourist spots. Travelers have the opportunity to explore hidden gems, taste local specialties, and learn from expert chefs & seasoned cooks.

I started this company in collaboration with my partner Chef Eric Fraudeau, Chef/Owner of French Cooking School, Cook’n With Class Paris with the dream of taking people on a journey rich with the colorful dishes, tasty tidbits, and skill-building lessons that would enrich their travel experience. Together we designed our very first culinary holiday, Let’s Eat Uzès -Week in Uzès which gave participants the opportunity to dive into the heart of French culture through its very rich culinary history. Our visits were dotted with market tours, hands-on cooking lessons, & wine tastings. But we never forgot the key ingredients that made these tours so popular, the conviviality and the generosity.

With these elements in mind, I’ve shaped our current tours and will continue to build on new programs that will bring you closer to cultural appreciation and understanding through the what units us all, our quest for good food.

I believe that food is a way to connect with people and learn about different cultures, and I am dedicated to sharing this passion with my other food and travel lovers.

If you are ready to explore new places or even revisit destinations you have been before with a renewed thirst, I’ve got the perfect tour for you.

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17 Best Cooking Classes for Passionate Cooks Around the World

Holiday trips can be so much more than just travel, sightseeing and enjoying good food. Instead, you can get busy and dive into the core local traditions through a hands-on culinary experience to understand the culture of the place.

Cooking classes can be the main purpose of your trip or an additional experience that will enrich your travels with knowledge and skills. They also make a perfect gift for cooking enthusiasts. 

When you want to go beyond and follow your passions, you could take a culinary course leading to a diploma that can be the start of an exciting career change.

From highly experienced professional chefs with visionary approaches to talented and friendly home cooks, any experience you choose will be unique and memorable.

Travel with us around the world and discover some of the exciting cooking classes out there.

L’École De Cuisine Alain Ducasse , Paris, France 

Your passion for food and eagerness to enrich your culinary knowledge will be fully fulfilled at the French school established by legendary Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse.

What better place to brush up your skills than a Parisian Institute right? A gourmet gift is very unique and thoughtful and offering a voucher to your loved one for a course they always dreamed of will be something to remember. Courses can be picked from the calendar by date or by theme.

For example, on the “ Well-being kitchen ” course, the Vegetarian Cuisine and The Wok in all its States programs inquire into innovative and healthy recipes, vitamin cocktails, all there is to know about colourful vegetables and much more.

The “Cooking for kids and teens” type course is designed for all kids and teens from 6 to 13 years interested in exploring the art of making delicious foods. Cooking moments can be shared with parents in special classes designed for fun cooking duets under the benevolent eye of the chef. 

You’ll no longer be a stranger to the flavors and colors of Southern France as you learn to cook from chef Alain Ducasse’s recipes. There are several classes in English too and the adult courses are paired with wines of the Rhone Valley. 

Prices: from €90 depending on choice of course;

Enrica Rocca , Venice, Italy

When visiting the beautiful city and canals of Venice, you might as well cross the kitchen doors and heart of Enrica Rocca, who is more than happy to share her passion for good food.

She will take you to market for a first lesson on how to shop for the right ingredients such as beautiful vegetables like San Erasmo Island artichokes, shrimps, clams, prawn, scallops, pork ribs or sausages. According to the time-old Venetian tradition, before heading home, a stop will occur at a local bacari (Venetian bar) for a spritz.

Known as the “cooking countess”, Enrica’s approach to sharing her talent and knowledge of Venice and its produce is relaxing and fun as she follows Italian and Venetian traditions with creativity.

When cooking with Enrica, the kitchen quickly transform itself into a hive of activity seen in a typical Italian home, with lots of chatter over the chopping and the occasional chink of a wine glass being refilled. This is what Enrica Rocca’s cookery school is all about – friendly, lively and really rather brilliantly flamboyant. CHARLOTTE CHAPUIS

The Half Day Cooking Classes to Full Day Cooking with Rialto Market included, Wine Pairing Cooking Classes and Corporate Cooking Classes will make a memorable imprint on your trip to the “floating city.”

Pricing: starting from $310

Traveling Spoon , Around the world

Private meals and cooking classes are held by passionate locals who are more than happy to share their local food treasures and market experiences.

The Traveling Spoon is a fantastic company that connects travelers and foodies with the best home cooks around the world. Go for a personal and unique experience with cooks that will open up the warmth of their kitchen to you and finally their soul.

Gain some beautiful memories and beautiful friendships while you travel abroad and learn to prepare authentic Greek phyllo dough from scratch in Christina’s Athens kitchen, or join local Dhaka, Bangladesh celebrity chef Nahid as she teaches you how to make authentic Bengali cuisine .

Share the joy of a homemade meal in a local’s home while you hear all about their cultural and culinary traditions passed down through generations. Traveling Spoon operates in 60 countries and you too can become a host if you want to share the passion.

This is the power of travel and food – to be able to connect with someone from a completely different part of the world and realize, as you cook and share a meal together, that despite our cultural differences, we are all human and share the same values. Aashi, Traveling Spoon

The Casa Luna Cooking School , Bali, Indonesia

The magical setting of Casa Luna invites you to immerse yourself in the world of Balinese and Indonesian cuisines, seasoned with age-old traditions, local hospitality, and spiced with fascinating culinary myths.

The Casa Luna Cooking School is a world-famous culinary center with classes part demonstration and part hands-on, where participants learn about the exotic herbs and spices used in ceremonial and everyday dishes with a focus on their unique healing properties. 

The course includes a visit to Gianyar night market at dusk where you can experience the ambiance of a Balinese pasar.

With a daily theme, you learn to cook Balinese delicacies like spiced fish in banana leaves, black rice pudding, Mie Goreng, Green coconut crêpes, Lawar, Gado-Gado, Balinese chicken satay, Sago pudding and much more.

The lavish Balinese feast are then enjoyed together with homemade hibiscus tea or rice wine.

Prices: Rp 400,000 – Rp 500,000 per person for Cooking Classes and Market Tours (~$30 USD)

The Gritti Epicurean School , Venice, Italy

Executive Chef Daniele Turco offers an indigenous culinary experience featuring demonstration classes and visits to markets, wine tasting, themed courses, and indulgent ingredients.

Italian cooking classes range from a half-day to more intensive programs that allow for a more in-depth look at various aspects of food preparation.

The Indigenous class is a 3-hour cooking class where you can learn to make an exquisite three-course lunch or dinner using local seasonal ingredients that are an essential part of Venetian Cuisine. 

Half-day classes teach more about local products, seasonality, and how to choose and select them. You’ll also be introduced to the typical Venetian aperitivo with cicchetti at a traditional Bacaro.

Stay & Cook is a three-day program where you can enjoy the city and learn more about Italian food . It also includes visits to Rialto Market to hand-pick fresh ingredients and a tasting of the famous Venetian aperitivo.  

Pricing: starting from €245 per person 

Cook in Rio , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Your holiday in Rio must start with a cooking class at Cook in Rio so book your first day to meet chef Simone Almeida.

Former students say that she will illuminate the rest of your trip with all that you will learn about Rio culture, about Cariocas, and about exploring Rio. Consider yourself warned because she’s side-bustingly funny and causes students to burst caipirinha thru their nostrils as they crack up at her jokes. 

Discover exotic ingredients, techniques, and flavors that you can take home and use in your dinner parties in just a half-day cooking class.

In the Seafood Moqueca Class, you learn about fish (or veggie) moqueca, make white garlic rice, banana toasted farofa, flambeed sausage with onions, grilled white cheese with pepper jam, lime and passionfruit caipis and a coconut alcoholic drink called Batida de Coco. 

The second option is the Feijoada Class, where you learn pork and bean feijoada, Brazil’s most famous meal , white garlic rice, banana toasted farofa, seared garlic kale with orange slices, flambeed sausage with onions, grilled white cheese with pepper jam, lime and passion-fruit caipis, and the Batida de Coco drink.

Pricing: starting from $75 per person;

Taste of Andalucía , Andalusia, Spain

Does a kitchen with a fantastic view where you can pick your own olives sounds amazing or what?!

At B&B Finca Las Encinas you will learn how Christopher Columbus changed the culinary history of Spain and what flavors make Andalusian cooking so special. I can tell you one or two of the secrets: it’s the rich aroma of the fruity extra virgin olive oil and the finest Sierra Subbética product that you’ll be cooking with.

There are four course packages to choose from to learn in a fun and relaxing way all about Mediterranean cuisine while staying in an idyllic place.

While teaching traditional and modern techniques, the interesting cultural background of ingredients and recipes are also discussed.

You’ll learn how to cook at home some of the delicious, exotic dishes such as shellfish soup with fino wine, clams with saffron, chilled almond soup, monkfish with preserved lemons and tomato compote, hake with almond garlic mayonnaise and fresh tomato salsa, partridge with mint and pistachio, poached pears in lavender fragrant honey, fresh fig tart , Coffee and brandy flan, and, last but not least, tapas. 

Our cooking courses are informal, casual and full of laughter yet very informative where you could learn a lot of useful and practical tips and skills which you would actually use in your own kitchen. Personal interaction is a focus of our course so the class size is very small because we believe that anyone can cook but to cook successfully requires a basic skill supported by a positive attitude and my husband Chef Clive´s good sense of humour and his laid-back nature will help anyone achieve it.   Maki

Pricing: starting at ~$400 USD

Macalla Farm , Clare Island, Ireland

Have you wondered about how and what we eat might influence everything that we do during the day?

The complex relationship between food and consciousness is one of the things that the program “Mindfulness and food” explores at Macalla Farm in Ireland. Besides their main business, this is a yoga retreat, visitors are welcomed to Bed & Breakfast and attend the cooking courses hosted here.

Seems like the best place to be for “Mens sana in corpore sano” and a good gift voucher not only for our friends who are concerned for a healthy lifestyle but for our loved ones too, for them to take better care of themselves.

Food courses include vegetarian lessons where surplus fruits and vegetables grown in their organic garden are transformed into preserves and chutneys, fermented pickles, and kimchis. I, for one, am very curious about the making of elderflower champagne as well as various cordials and mead from their own harvest honey.

One of our greatest passions at Macalla Farm is the growing, preparing and eating delicious and nourishing vegetarian and vegan food, from seed to fork, as local and seasonal as it gets. Ciara Cullen

Participants are taught the skills of making sour dough bread and can also take home the starters. To reconnect to your inner self, the nature and nurture the body Clare Island off the west coast of Ireland makes the perfect destination.

Pricing: ~$400 USD including food, accommodation, cooking and yoga/meditation tuition.  

Glorious Greek Cooking , Ikaria, Greece

Take a culinary travel vacation on the Blue Zone Greek island of Ikaria for a very personalized experience cooking healthy food and learning the secrets of longevity and living well. 

The cookbook author and celebrity chef Diane Kochilas’s goal is to teach about food, life, and longevity in a way that is both practical and intuitive.

Find out how to cook greens that you’ll actually crave in dishes, discover techniques for transforming vegetables into rich flavorful spreads, dips and sauces, learn how to build a Mediterranean flavor palate for marinades with a few basic ingredients and to grill and roast lean meat and seafood for healthy, mouthwatering main course variations. 

For her book, The Glorious Foods of Greece , Kochilas was rewarded the Jane Grigson Award for Excellence in Research by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2002. 

She also won best cookbook in the IACP International Category, in 2015, a Books for a Better Life Award with her Ikaria: Lessons of Food, Life & Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die , and was listed for an Art of Eating Award.

Here are some highlight activities that you can experience along with culinary workshops: visiting traditional beekeepers and tasting local wild honey; cooking and tasting fresh, seasonal ingredients from the garden; wine tasting, drinking the wine that Odysseus is said to have drunk; learning the culinary and medicinal value of herbs and wild plants in foraging walks; and milking the neighbor’s goats and making cheese with the fresh milk.

Pricing: $3,750 per person

Casa Mãe , Lagos, Portugal

Near the sea and close to the sandy Casa Mãe beach, a blue and white hotel with a modern wing and 19th-century townhouse can host your dream holiday.

Expand your cooking skills in a sunny and happy place with an enchanting panorama. Right beneath the city walls lies the estate with a swimming pool and a garden that provides produce for the kitchen where farm-to-table cooking classes take place.

Try the black garlic and tell us all about it or experience a “sail, fish and grill” trip, spending an afternoon out in a boat then grilling or making ceviche with the catch (bass, sole, bream, mackerel or red mullet) the next day. 

Pricing: $73 USD for vegetarian workshop and $89 USD for fish or meat workshop (drink and meal included).

Cookistan , Istanbul, Turkey

The best way to end an Istanbul tour is at Cookistan cooking classes ran by the Aysin and Aysun sisters.

Learn about the culture of Turkish food while cooking Süleymaniye Soup (Ottoman Style Soup), artichokes with vegetables and orange juice, caramelized pumpkin dessert with walnuts and tahini, and other 3 course meals according to the season.

Before getting busy in the kitchen, you’ll first be touring the neighborhood, visiting local shops and genuine artisans making pastries and bread, unlike any other tourist places a foreigner will go, to gather the necessary ingredients. Gonca will be your professional tourist guide.

You may not be a passionate home cook but by the end of the day in the friendly and interactive company, when you sit down to table to enjoy the fruits of your work in the cozy sisters’ loft, you will certainly change your idea.

Turkish cuisine will feel effortless when prepared in the company of old friends, who by the way, speak both English and German. 

Cookistan Istanbul Cooking Classes show you that nothing is easier than preparing a range of mouthwatering Turkish treats.  Aslı Yallagöz, Cookistan

Pricing: $110 USD per person

Castello di Vicarello , Tuscany, Italy

Learn the art of pasta, bread baking, and pastry making in a 12th-century castle nestled in the beautiful Tuscan hills, Italy.

Aurora Baccheschi Berti and her chefs offer short professional courses while accommodating you at the hotel. You’ll be cooking with hand-picked ingredients from the organic kitchen garden, following family recipes from Aurora’s published cookbook, and by the end of your stay, you will have mastered dishes like papa al pomodoro, ravioli maremmani, and tiramisu .

That will make an impression at your next dinner party for sure.

On top of that you’ll have the best holiday experiences while truffle hunting, wine tasting, olive harvest or wine harvest in late October in the family vineyard which produce an award-winning organic red. Did we mention thabm

Pricing: cooking class package with 3 nights reservation for two – ~$560 USD.

Hanoi Cooking Centre , Hanoi, Vietnam

A variety of cooking classes seasoned twice a day by street food tours is what they serve at Hanoi Cooking Centre in Vietnam. Guests with more time on their hands can take the 5-hour street food tour to 5 of the best-known street food venues across Hanoi with a market tour included.

The Market Tour & Lunch or Dinner package is for guests with limited time but who still get the taste of a truly authentic Hanoi culinary experience.

Choosing one of the six Vietnamese Cooking Classes, you’ll discover the flavors, history, and culture of Vietnamese cuisine : BBQ class, Spring Rolls, Vegetarian, Food from The Coast, Hanoi and The Northern Highlands, Vietnamese Street Food. You’re expected to come hungry because all workshops conclude with enjoying the dishes prepared. A Hanoi Cooking Centre apron and recipe cards will be presented as a souvenir.  

Guests are able to prepare dishes under the expert guidance of our team of professionally trained chefs at their own work station and included in every class and tour is a visit of one of the last remaining wet markets in Hanoi. The local market is both a treat and challenge for the senses and the chef accompanying the clients is able to demystify the local produce and encourage guests to taste along the way.   Cao Thanh Thuy , Operations Manager, Hanoi Cooking Centre

Pricing: 1.380.000 VND (~$60 USD)

Los Dos , Mérida, Mexico

It is said that no travel to Mérida, Mexico is complete without taking a tour at Los Dos cooking school, the first and only in the country devoted exclusively to Yucatecan cuisine. Describing himself as “ weaned on chili” , chef David Sterling moved from New York in 2003 to open Los Dos, featuring the kitchen of his dreams.

He then went on to write the authoritative cookbook on Yucatecan gastronomy called  YUCATÁN, Recipes From a Culinary Expedition that received two James Beard awards and his second book MERCADOS , was released posthumously in 2019. Mario Canul, Sterling’s sous-chef, and right-hand-man took over as head chef for Los Dos.

The three cooking class options are “ The Taste of Yucatán”, which is a 7-hour deep-dive into the amazing and relatively unknown world of the cuisine of the Yucatán Peninsula.

With the “Cocina Económica” half-day experience, you’ll get to cook a signature recipe of a real Mayan family at a local pueblo. Private Classes with Chef Mario are available if you have a specific area of interest with regard to the local cuisine.

There are also Tasting Classes which are a great immersion into the flavors of the Yucatan, guided by Chef Mario in places you probably wouldn’t find on your own: Cantina Crawl, One Day Chocolate Indulgence, Yucatán Express, Street Eats.  

All-inclusive Culinary Packages available year-round by request include “ Yucatán Three Day Culinary Workshop”, “Yucatán One-Week Culinary Workshop”, “Three-Day Chocolate Fantasy Workshop”, “Los Dos Maestros Three-Day Workshop” , or, on selected dates with seasonal cooking classes, “Day of the Dead Special” and “Guadalupe Day Special” . 

All-inclusive culinary packages start from $1,925 4 nights per person

Tokyo Sushi Academy , Tokyo, Japan

Do you love sushi ? Then learn to make it like a pro in just 90 minutes at Japan’s premiere Sushi School, near Tsukiji Fish Market!

Tokyo Sushi Academy will teach you the secrets of Japanese culinary arts and brush up your knife skills in the 1-day Ramen workshop or a full 6-week course.

Master the sashimi knife in the 5-day Sashimi Course, where you’ll get acquainted with 3 kinds of raw fish a day and learn the Otsukuri and Tsuma/Ken technique for adding beauty to the sashimi plate. 

The Japanese cuisine course lasts 5 days, just enough to learn Grill & Fry techniques like Yaki-tori, Kushi-yaki, Yaki-zakana (Grilled Fish), Tempura , Tonkatsu, Kushi-age, and more. You’ll make an impression with your deep tempura knowledge for sure!

Over 10 days the International Sushi Chef Course intensively covers sushi techniques and washoku cuisine with popular seafood found in international markets.  

Enthusiasts will be instructed on everything there is to know about sushi making, from Japanese knife handling and raw fish preparation to a deeper knowledge on the 4-week sushi course. You’ll master the Edomae style sushi that preserves the ancient wisdom of chefs in Tokyo (Edo), such as Kobu-jime and Su-jime, and how to make sushi with more than 20 kinds of seafood.   

And the most popular course is the 6-week Total Course, which combines the 4-week Sushi Course, 5-day Sashimi Course and 5-day Japanese Cuisine Course. It comes with a discount of 54,000JPY off the total price.

The chefs teach in Japanese but an English translator is always present. Prices start from $64. 

Faim D’Epices , Marrakech Morocco  

If you want to dive into the world of Moroccan spices while on holiday in Marrakech, the fun begins with classes offered by Faim D’Epices. A car will pick you up from your guest house and drive you to an adventure of an enchanting alchemy made of scents, flavors, and traditions.

Michel and Philippe are the hosts and professional cooks who will teach you how to use the rare spices that you purchased as souvenirs from the market, so you can recreate at home the dishes enjoyed during your stay.

Moroccan meals will no more be a secret to you but a feast featuring bread, salads, sweets, and main course that will impress your friends and family. The facilities are kid friendly and French and English are spoken as Michel is a Parisian who moved to Morocco, being so irredeemably in love with the local food, spices, and cooking. 

Price: €55 per person

School of Artisan Food , East Midlands, UK  

Take a culinary journey back through time and join celebrated foods that provide a true taste of Downton Abbey through classes in traditional English cookery .

Whether you dream of making cheese, enriching your cooking with “lost skills” of artisan food production, or changing your career path by opening a small business with products that carry the taste of your passion, this is the place to be.

The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom , is a not-for-profit operation that offers a large variety of classes in baking, butchery, and cheese making.

Just to mention a few interesting ones: Festive Introduction to Chocolate, Christmas Baking , Foraging & Wild Food Cookery, Festive Pie Making, Mindful Bread, Festive Favorites, Curing & Smoking, Venison in a Day, Make Your Own Sausages, Sticky Buns and Fruit Breads, and many more that include, among others, ice cream, pizza, and pasta making.

Matching your time availability and needs you can choose from weekend classes, one-year courses, and advanced diplomas in baking. The school also has courses that focus on the business side of the food industry: while lectures from chefs are not uncommon, neither are the talks from lawyers, accountants, and other business experts. 

Located on a 15,000-acre estate in the legendary Sherwood Forest, the School of Artisanal Food has won several awards for its consistent excellence.

You can make someone really happy with a gift voucher by choosing any value over £25 and allow the lucky recipient to choose which course or special event they would like to join. Santa, if you’re watching, this would be the perfect present for me. Thanks in advance!

Price starts from £0 – and that’s no typo, there are 2 free classes on Open Day.

Chef’s Pencil is part of the Amazon Associate Program and earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, though this not impact the product selection, which is done independently by our editors and contributors.

Adina Serban

Adina has a passion for healthy living and exercise. She has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and loves nature. She also loves reading, good coffee and exploring new places.

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What Are the World’s Greatest Destination Cooking Schools?

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Call it the Top Chef effect or the Michael Pollanization of America—a thoroughly modern preoccupation with where our meals come from, how they’re cooked, and who’s cooking them. A happy by-product of this national obsession is food tourism, whether you’re more inclined toward a tasting tour of Oaxaca’s legendary moles or an izakaya crawl in Tokyo. According to the tourism and “place branding” experts at Resonance Consultancy , vacations with a culinary bent have ballooned into a $12 billion industry, drawing in some 27 million American travelers over the past three years. Looking for a truly immersive food adventure? Take a class at one of the following tourist-friendly cooking schools.

Le Cordon Bleu, Paris The wise old chef of cooking schools offers a solid lineup of “short courses”—one-day classes on bread baking, French regional cuisine, and the like. If you’d rather be out and about, book the Paris Market Tour, a tour of select open-air markets that concludes with a demonstration on how to use the ingredients you’ve selected.     

Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee Blend 4,200 pristine acres in the Smoky Mountains with James Beard Award–winning food and a killer cooking school, and you get Blackberry Farm, a luxury hotel that lives up to its hype, and then some. Guests aren’t obligated to take a class—but why wouldn’t you, when they’re taught by the likes of Alain Ducasse? Upcoming classes range from a hands-on demonstration by the Food Network’s Katie Lee to an educational seminar from top Memphis chefs like Kelly English and Andrew Ticer. Don’t forget to bring your road cycle and burn off some of those calories by pedaling the area’s deceptively difficult climbs.   

Red Bridge Restaurant & Cooking School, Hoi An, Vietnam Anthony Bourdain raved about this spot on his old TV show, and for good reason. It’s gorgeous (situated on the banks of the Hoi An River near the east coast of Vietnam), delicious (boasts a revolving-door menu packed with spicy fresh-fish dishes), and is home to an excellent, surprisingly affordable cooking school. Go all out—by that, we mean spend a mere $30—and book the Red Bridge Classic Half Day Tour, which includes a stroll through the market, a boat ride on the Hoi An, and a two-hour class focused on regional treats such as clay pot fish, lemongrass soup, and beef noodle soup.

Los Dos Cooking School, Mérida, Mexico

Run by expat chef David Sterling, this renowned school is dedicated to the bright, spicy flavors of the Yucatán. Sterling teaches Los Dos’s most popular class , an eight-hour overview of Mayan cooking, highlighted by a market tour and a full meal prepared by students.

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Immerse Yourself in Italian Cuisine at These Eight Cooking Schools

From local women to world-renowned chefs, here’s a delicious way to get in touch with your inner Italian

Jennifer Billock

Travel Correspondent

What does the world "Italy" bring to mind for you? If the answer is "food," you're not alone—for Susy Patrito Silva, director of Casa Artusi cooking school, eating (and cooking) Italian is a necessary component of the complete Italian experience.

“Usually we say that during a first trip to Italy, people want to see art—so they visit Florence, Rome, Venice and so on,” she tells Smithsonian.com. “But if they want to get an authentic Italian experience, they [should] look for places where it is still possible to live like a local." For Silva, that means learning about local history, eating traditional foods—and cooking them, too.

Luckily, embracing your inner Italian in the kitchen can be as easy (and delicious) as digging in to a favorite local dish. At Italy's many cooking schools, tourists and locals alike can master some of the country's most mouthwaterin dishes. Here are eight top-rated cooking schools to try on your next trip to Italy:

Gelato University - Emilia Romagna’s Wellness Valley (Bologna)

Ever wonder what makes gelato so different from ice cream? We won’t give it away—sign up for a class at Gelato University in Bologna to find out. There, would-be gelato makers learn all about recipe specifics and how to create their own variations. There’s also a course for would-be gelato shop owners—the school trains them not only on the details of true gelato, but also how to open and run a shop anywhere in the world.

Looking for a different way to develop your gelato palate? One of the most interesting classes on order right now is the Artisanal Gelato Sensory Analysis course, where participants learn to taste and enjoy gelato like a glass of fine Italian wine.

Casa Artusi (Forlimpopoli)

Pellegrino Artusi, this cooking school’s namesake, is widely considered the father of modern Italian cookery. In 1891, he published his magnum opus, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well , Italy’s first Italian-language cookbook. The final edition contains about 790 recipes and short stories that took 20 years to gather. Today, it's the go-to for chefs across the country.

Master the art of Italian home cooking at Casa Artusi in Forlimpopoli. It's home to the Associazione delle Mariette , named after Artusi’s assistant Mariette, where a group of women chefs teach students the basics of local Italian home cooking including fresh pasta and piadina, an unleavened bread the area is famous for.

Tuscan Women Cook (Montefollonico, Tuscany)

The teachers at Tuscan Women Cook in Montefollonico are, according to tradition, the people who know the most about local recipes, ingredients and cuisine: local women. Students participate in a true cultural immersion, learning family recipes in Italian with the help of an English interpreter and getting hands-on in a local kitchen atmosphere.

Morning classes include demonstrations at local homes and visits to different area artisans, festivals and markets. Try the pasta class, where you'll learn how to make more than just standard gnocchi and tagliatelli—region-specific pici, thick eggless noodles, are also on the menu.

Badia a Coltibuono (Chianti)

Cookbook author Lorenza de Medici founded Badia a Coltibuono more than 20 years ago with a mission to teach students the secrets of authentic Italian cuisine. Benedetta Vitali, a Florentine chef and restaurant owner who continues the tradition of cookbook authors teaching courses at the school, now follows in de Medici's footsteps. Her cuisine is heavily influenced by school's the on-site vegetable and herb garden. As an added bonus, students get copies of the recipes and sample menus to bring home.

Perhaps even more impressive than the cooking classes themselves is the location of the school. Classes run from March to November inside an almost 1,000-year-old abbey. The name Badia a Coltibuono translates to "Abbey of the Good Harvest." The monks from the Vallombrosan Order, who planted some of the first vineyards in the Upper Chianti area, founded it in 1051.

Enrica Rocca (Venice)

A class with Enrica Rocca , also known as the Venetian Contessa, is a step back into old Venice. Inside the Contessa's kitchen, you'll cook up recipes with spices that taste like a delicious blast to the past. The classes use seasonal, fresh ingredients and are held in Rocca’s personal apartment—a loft by the canal in Venice’s Dorsoduro district.

Try the half-day wine pairing and cooking class, where Rocca teaches students to cook traditional recipes. She also has a sommelier on hand to help pair wines and discuss the delicate balance between vino and food.

Acquolina (Venice)

Classes at Acquolina are limited to a small number of students so everyone can have an interactive and hands-on experience with the chef, Marika Contaldo. The school is actually on her family’s property, along with a boutique hotel, so she’s never too far away to answer your burning cooking questions.

For a full-on Venetian cooking experience, sign up for the full-day course. Students start at an ancient food market, where they learn how to pick the freshest fish and vegetables. Then they continue with an appetizer and wine tasting, a private boat ride, a cooking class in which they prepare a sumptuous lunch.

Anna Tasca Lanza (Palermo)

Students of the Anna Tasca Lanza school get far out into the Sicilian countryside—the school is a two-hour drive from Palermo and the nearest airport. There's a yummy benefit to that remote location: Almost everything used in the recipes is grown or raised on-site.

Want to put a spiritual spin on your cooking? Try the Golden Buddha Yoga and Sicilian Cooking course, where students not only learn to cook, but also get in touch with their inner selves at daily yoga workshops.

Soul of Sicily (Noto)

Chefs of all levels come to Soul of Sicily to learn how to cook southeastern Sicilian food. Most courses are a week long and include more than just instruction on cooking local food with organic ingredients. The school also provides culinary experiences as part of the program, from full days of formal instruction and tastings with area wine experts to picnics in surrounding olive groves. Students also have a chance to peek into the kitchens of professional chefs and take exclusive lessons with them.

For true lovers of Sicilian cuisine, Soul of Sicily is currently organizing a professional advanced cooking program. It's expected to be up and running in April 2017.

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Jennifer Billock | | READ MORE

Jennifer Billock is an award-winning writer, bestselling author, and editor. She is currently dreaming of an around-the-world trip with her Boston terrier. Check out her website at jenniferbillock.com .

Courtesy of Royal Mansour

Go to Cooking School With a Michelin-Starred Chef in These 5 Destinations

Jake Emen is a freelance travel, food, and drinks journalist. His work has been published in outlets including AFAR, Barron's, Bourbon+, Condé Nast Traveler, and more.

For the food-driven travelers among us plotting their next trip based on what and where to eat, two of the most popular paths include booking a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant and securing a spot at a hands-on cooking class. Now, those two gastronomic pursuits can be combined into the ultimate eating adventure: a cooking class led by a Michelin-starred chef.

At select hotels around the world, as well as an increasing number of annual food festivals, globetrotting gourmands have the opportunity to learn from the best while also sampling tantalizing treats—and bringing back the knowledge to pull it off once more at home.

Switzerland: Castello del Sole

Courtesy of Castello del Sole

At Castello del Sole , a member of Swiss Deluxe Hotels, chef Mattias Roock leads guests through a 90-minute risotto masterclass on Saturdays in the kitchen of Locanda Barbarossa , which has one Michelin star. Learn the secrets of his perfect risotto, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor paired with a glass of wine, showcasing ingredients coming from the property's Terreni alla Maggia winery and garden.

“We first take a short tour to show the guests where we grow our produce, and then we move to the kitchen," Roock tells TripSavvy, adding that the kitchen, "attracts a lot of curiosity because it's not often that you get to go inside since many chefs do not want to reveal the secrets behind their signature recipes.”

He offers more of an open-door policy for guests, welcoming visitors of all ages and experiences. “The feedback is usually outstanding, and people appreciate the fact that the group is relatively small, so we can really talk together," Roock says.

United Kingdom: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisions, A Belmond Hotel

Courtesy of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Raymond Blanc OBE opened his namesake cooking school in 1991. Guests of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, a Belmond Hotel can enroll in a daily lineup of half- and full-day culinary experiences such as a beginner's guide to breadmaking or a garden-to-plate tutorial. “Each course focuses on recipes held dear by Raymond, but none more so than Maman Blanc's classic cuisine that celebrates the simplicity of home cooking and showcases the dishes that led our chef patron to become the Michelin-starred chef he is today,” Mark Peregrine, the director of the Raymond Blanc Cookery School, tells TripSavvy.

“Our courses are suitable for all experience levels, from aspiring chefs to novices and individuals with a passion for home cooking,” Peregrine says. “Guests love to experience the buzz of being among two-Michelin starred chefs, and they often leave the classes feeling highly inspired by Raymond Blanc's passion for cooking and culinary creativity. His stories, anecdotes, and personal experiences motivate them to experiment more in their own kitchens.” For a more personalized and extravagant experience, private sessions can be arranged with Blanc, upon request, along with immersive four-day courses inclusive of accommodations.

Cayman Islands: The Cayman Cookout

The Cayman Cookout is an annual food festival that brings in some of the biggest culinary luminaries from around the world. Hosted by Eric Ripert each January at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman —and approaching its 15th edition in 2024—the event features a who's who of your favorite food names from his rollicking Rolodex. The 2023 lineup featured Daniel Boulud, Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, José Andrés, Andrew Zimmern, and Dominique Crenn, to name a few. Participating chefs and events vary each year, but expect a lineup of cooking demos and workshops alongside culinary excursions, meals, seminars, and competitions.

France: Fleur de Loire

Louise Jean-Baptiste

The Loire Valley's latest luxe must-visit is the Fleur de Loire , which opened in June 2022. The entire project is the culmination of a lifelong aspiration from two Michelin-starred chef Christophe Hay. At such a culinary wonderland, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that you can enroll for some hands-on instruction from Hay himself. “Since opening my kitchens in Montlivault, I’ve always promoted a collaborative environment, and because of this, I’ve had many requests to offer cooking classes, which is why I started this experience,” Hay says.

Hay leads a monthly cooking class series at the property with different themes throughout the year, such as a holiday foie gras course or a parents and children workshop. “Today we offer cooking classes for a very wide audience, including everyone from expert chefs in training to young people with an interest in cooking,” Hay says. “No matter what, the effect is always the same: cooking brings people together, and these moments of sharing unite us. Our participants always find it very difficult to leave our kitchen because they are so interested in asking questions and learning more about our profession."

Morocco: Royal Mansour Marrakech

At Royal Mansour Marrakech , eating endeavors should be at the forefront of any itinerary. The property's restaurants include Sesamo from Italian chef Massimiliano Alajmo , who, at 28 years old, became the youngest chef awarded three Michelin stars. The hotel is also home to La Grande Table Marocaine , newly reopened under the helm of French chef Hélène Darroze, who has garnered six Michelin stars thus far in her career.

The property unveiled an on-site culinary school this summer, offering customized workshops across all skill levels. Two-hour sessions focus on subjects such as Moroccan cuisine, Italian cuisine, or pastries—culminating with an alfresco tasting overlooking the hotel's gardens. While Darroze and Alajmo are not typically leading the programs, their expert sous chefs and culinary teams leave guests in capable hands.

For Darroze, the experience of learning the intricacies of a new type of cuisine has rekindled her own zest for learning in the kitchen, something she knows guests will love as well. “The most exciting part for me in coming here is learning about Moroccan cuisine, and then seeing what I will bring to this cuisine,” she says. “It has created an excitement that reminds me of when I was a girl learning to cook.”

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10 Best Cooking Classes Around the World

These terrific cooking classes offer a uniquely delicious cultural experience–teaching you to prepare the local cuisine yourself.  

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Los Dos, Merida, Mexico

School of artisan food, north nottinghamshire, england, giuliano hazan’s northern italy cooking school, verona, italy, james st. cooking school, brisbane, australia, tokyo kitchen, tokyo, japan, cass abrahams capetown, capetown, south africa, langlois culinary crossroads, new orleans, louisiana.

Chef Amy Cyrex-Sins describes Langlois Culinary Crossroads as part dinner party, part interactive entertainment. While Langlois hosts private cooking classes by appointment, regular diners at Langlois can tour the kitchen, interact with the chefs and learn about traditional Cajun and Creole cooking.

Beijing Cooking School, Beijing, China

Galileat, galilee, israel, issaya cooking studio, bangkok, thailand, eat, drink, travel, we recommend.

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Cooking Classes Around the World Fit For An Epicure

Learn about the local culture while picking up a few new skills.

To put it simply, food is culture. And a meaningful way to immerse yourself in a destination is through what’s on the plate. Whether it’s Pappa al Pomodoro in Tuscany or Doro Wot in Ethiopia, food that has been soulfully crafted with local ingredients is among the best ways to get a strong sense of what that region of the world is all about. Tacking onto this concept, one approach to making your getaway feel more memorable is with a cooking class led by a local chef.

Not a master in the kitchen? Not a problem. Culinary lessons found around the world tailor to cooks from all backgrounds and with varying degrees of skillsets (or lack thereof). What’s most important here is that you come away from the experience with a deeper understanding of the food traditions and flavors that place is beloved for. Whether you’re in the midst of planning your next getaway or need some inspiration to do so, for now, lean into some armchair travel with a roundup of the best cooking lessons found around the world. From the shores of Fiji to the mountaintops of Peru, there’s a class — and dish — for every food-focused traveler.

Pizza-Making In Napa Valley

It’s hard to resist the siren call of pizza and wine, and Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection in Calistoga, California amps up the temptation with the hotel’s pizza experience . If you book a room with a private patio (like the Garden Terrace Studio) you can add on a three-hour class held in the privacy of your own backyard. Chef Gustavo Rios will curate the fresh ingredients and toppings and you’ll learn how to perfect your pizza-making skills in an outdoor Breville pizza oven (with instruction from one of the property’s chefs, of course). The package includes four bottles of wine from a local vintner member and vinyls with a record player to solidify the alfresco dining experience.

‘Grandma’s Garden’ In Vietnam

At Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam, the culinary team took inspiration from a family figure who is all-knowing — the grandmother. Their kitchen recreates traditional cuisines that have been handed down from generation to generation, hoping to spark comforting childhood memories in guests. The property’s organic garden (called ‘Grandma’s Garden’) invites guests to pick their own seasonal veggies and fruits before heading to he prep stations to enjoy a chef-led cooking class. Prepare popular Vietnamese dishes while relaxing in this picturesque region.

Plant-Based Dining In La Quinta

Located in the Coachella Valley, La Quinta in California is a desert resort city surrounded by high mountain ranges. This November, La Quinta Resort & Club is debuting a cooking class series that will be taught by Executive Chef Andrew Cooper and located in the resort’s restaurant, Morgan’s in the Desert. The options are a mix — Turkey 101, Holiday Baking, and even a Plant-Based Dining class. Escape the cold and soak in the sun rays beside colorful flowerbeds and desert cacti while preparing fresh, healthy fare.

Pretzel Making In Utah

In Deer Valley, Utah there’s a European-inspired retreat — Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection — that’s situated mid-mountain in the famed ski destination. It’s designed to capture the spirit of an Austrian ski chalet and the property’s Bavarian and European style cooking classes extend this feeling of immersion. Here, guests can make their own pretzels using just four ingredients. Learn how to twist and turn your pretzel to perfection, while making sure it’s fluffy and crunchy where it counts. Once it’s baked, enjoy your pretzel with homemade sweet and savory mustard and a beer.

Beetroot Momos In Bhutan

Did you get the memo? Bhutan has, at long last, once again opened its borders to international guests. If this serene destination has been on your bucket list, consider a visit to Six Senses Bhutan for a culinary immersion of epic proportions. Alongside the chef, guests walk the lodge’s organic garden to discover an array of edible flowers, roots, and herbs grown at high elevation. Pluck artichokes, baby potatoes, kale, eggplant, and more to fill up your basket and return to the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class learning how to make dishes like Beetroot Momos or Buckwheat Pancakes served with fiery ezzay (Bhutan’s chili condiment).

Ricotta From Scratch In Puglia

Housed in a 159-year-old family palazzo in Puglia, Palazzo Daniele is a ten-suite luxury hotel that’s minimalist design concept finds its footing by way of original frescoes, vaulted ceilings, and mosaic flooring. The property recently introduced a refreshed food and beverage program echoing the spirit of ancient Salento and Apulian tradition and one experience guests can partake in is with one of the four female chefs. Learn to create homemade pasta or ricotta from scratch in a two-hour cooking class that uses time-honored Italian techniques in a breathtaking setting. Once the class is over, guests can sit down and enjoy their meal with complimentary aperitifs.

Colombian-Caribbean Pastry Making In Cartagena

Combining history, design, and cuisine, Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena should be at the top of your travel list. It’s housed in a 1621-era building that was once a convent and charity hospital. Nowadays, it’s identifiable by its orange exterior hue and towering palm trees and guests can relax in their recently-renovated rooms. The hotel invites guests to discover local Colombian flavors with the pastry chef by crafting coconut or mandarin lemon pie in the classic Colombian Caribbean style (or, you can make French-style macarons with local flavors as a nod to Sofitel’s French heritage).

Traditional Cuisine In The Yucatan

Surrounded by the ruins of Uxmal and situated within the Yucatan peninsula, Hacienda Temozon, a Luxury Collection Hotel is nothing short of picturesque. It was once a sisal estate and farm and now welcomes guests with its residential, comfortable ambience. The property offers a traditional Yucatan cooking class preparing Cochinita Pibil, a pork dish that’s flavored with sour orange and achiote and covered with banana and oat leaves. It’s cooked in an underground oven called the Pib , and once it’s completed guests can enjoy their flavorful creation.

Pie Masterclass In London

Inextricably linked with British culture, the pie (both sweet and savory) is a time-honored pastry in the United Kingdom. At Rosewood London this tradition is savored through an immersive Pie Masterclass that teaches guests the art of pie-making. It’s led by the hotel’s lead pie maker Nokx Majozi and the experience is held in the scenic Pie Room at the property’s Holborn Dining Room.

Jam and Jelly Making On Fogo Island

Resting on stilts and presiding over a floor of jagged rock, Fogo Island Inn is a bucket list destination for just about every traveler, and the hotel’s food programming is kicking into high gear this season. In addition to a four-day ‘ cheese feast ’ held from November 24 to 28, the Canadian property is also hosting a culinary adventure with Chef Hugh Acheson November 18 to 21. During this event, guests can experience a traditional open fire boil-up, take a nature hike to a wild tea tasting, and make jam and jelly with locally harvested berries.

Tortilla Journey In Austin

Die-hard taco fans take note, at Miraval Austin you can learn to make your very own tortillas from scratch. Justly dubbed the Transformative Tortilla Journey, the property highlights this traditional, essential element of Mexican cuisine with a dedicated class where guests have a hands-on experience reshaping simple and local ingredients into a fresh tortilla. You’ll assemble and press the dough into your round masterpiece before enjoying a taste of authentic Texas.

Break Down A Fish In Alaska

Boasting take-your-breath-away views, Salmon Falls Resort in Ketchikan, Alaska is the best place to put your fishing skills to the test. But beyond the boat, the property gives guests the opportunity to continue the experience with a salmon cooking demo. Here, learn the basics of breaking down a fish with minimal wastage, then partake in the chef’s private cooking demonstration who will prepare dishes to be paired with local microbrews.

Farmers Market Ingredients In Ibiza

Escape to the Balearic Islands for a culinary adventure beside the sparkling blue Mediterranean sea. At Ibiza Gran Hotel’s newly-appointed Michelin star restaurant, La Gaia by Óscar Molina guests can book a Journey of Taste package where they’ll spend the day with Chef Molina and learn about the local cuisine. Begin the day with an in-room breakfast and mimosas followed by a trip to the local market to pick up fresh ingredients and to taste local wine, olive oil, and vinegar. Back at the property, partake in the private cooking class using the market produce. And top things off, enjoy your dinner with wine pairings curated by the sommelier.

Tri Tri Cake In The Grenadines

Ditch the chilly temps and head for Mandarin Oriental, Canouan , a 26 suite, 13 villa luxury escape in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. The property has several themed cooking classes where guests can learn about the island’s unique culinary traditions. For example, Tri Tri Cake (pronounced “Chi Chi”) is made with a very tiny fish (Tri Tri) that’s known to some as The West Indian Whitebait. Or you can make Callaloo Soup, Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat, and even Dark Rum Cake, all with the assistance of Executive Chef Tijn Bremmers and his talented team.

Poke Class In Oahu

Located in one of Hawaii’s most vibrant surf towns, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach invites guests to partake in The Art of Poke. The experience is led by Executive Chef Eric Oto of G. Lion Hawaii who begins with an oral historical journey about the significance and origin of poke. He is a trained lawai’a (fisherman) and guests get to learn how to cut and prepare poke and top it with a smattering of tasty accoutrements to enhance the final dish.

Oyster Shucking In Virginia

It’s tough to beat a waterfront hotel, especially one like Tides Inn that’s situated on the iconic Chesapeake Bay in the historic town of Irvington, Virginia. The hotel is regarded as a culinary destination and its bountiful dishes are made possible by surrounding valleys, farms, orchards, and waterways. Guests can book classes in the Chef’s Kitchen, including learning a beloved pastime of the region: oyster shucking. Learn how to clean and shuck freshly-caught oysters, enjoyed as an assortment of prepared oyster recipes.

Vegan Masterclass In Oxfordshire

If taking a few days off to escape to the English countryside to learn how to cook with freshly-foraged plants sounds up your alley, head for Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel, Oxfordshire . The property was created by celebrated Michelin-star chef Raymond Blanc OBE and has 32 rooms and suites that are individually decorated drawing inspiration from Raymond’s travels. The namesake restaurant has held its two Michelin stars since it earned them during the property’s first year and the on-property school offers half and full-day cooking classes. Guests can now participate in Vegan Masterclasses, a new series focused on sustainability, zero-waste, and seasonal produce.

Global Cuisine In Puerto Rico

Less than an hour’s drive away from Old San Juan, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico is a 50-acre luxury beach resort located beside the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel has a culinary center that offers hands-on cooking lessons that teach creative recipes alongside professional techniques. Their focus is global cuisine, which means you’ll have the opportunity to whip up dishes such as Argentinian Empanadas, Tuscan Branzino Alla Livornese, or French Duck Confit. Each class includes a five-course meal paired with wine from the onsite La Cava , one of the largest wine cellars in the Caribbean that holds 690 labels and 3,200 bottles.

Sushi Making In Miami

If you’ve ever dabbled with the idea of making your own sushi, head to W South Beach for their Art of Sushi Making class taught by Chef Ramon Arocha. The lesson is held for a max of six people every Wednesday and here, the craft and basic techniques of sushi are brought to life.

Homemade Pasta On The Amalfi Coast

The first new luxury hotel to open on the famed Amalfi Coast in 15 years, Borgo Santandrea is a cliffside property suspended 90 meters above the sea. The property’s cooking classes are led by Michelin-starred Chef Crescenzo Scotti who shares Campanian and Mediterranean traditions in a kitchen overlooking the sea. Guests will learn how to make homemade pastas, Neapolitan pizza, and even Italian pastries all using locally-sourced produce. The end result? A picturesque three-course lunch menu.

Mussels Master Class In South Africa

For those with a penchant for whale watching (or simply breathtaking sea views), Birkenhead House in Hermanus, South Africa deserves a spot on your bucket list. The all-inclusive beach property is perched atop the cliffs of Cape Winelands region and peers out over Walker Bay, a haven for spotting Southern Right and Humpback Whales. While here, guests can forage with the executive chef for edible species along the shoreline or book a mussel-picking experience with Chefs Oliver and Pinkie followed by an immersive tutorial on how to cook them over open fire.

Moussaka & Tzatziki In Santorini

As if you need another excuse to book a holiday to the Greek islands, the cooking class at Andronis Concept Wellness Resort is worth traveling for. Located on Santorini, the family-run boutique property uses fresh ingredients from the hotel’s gardens and guests can learn to prepare a traditional Greek meal ( moussaka or tzatziki , for example). After you’ve put the final touches on your dish, enjoy your creation on the restaurant’s dining terrace with an arresting sunset view.

Traditional Fish Dishes In Fiji

Family-owned and on a private island, Turtle Island Fiji is a secluded eco-resort in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji. The property doesn’t have a traditional restaurant, rather, guests are treated like family and dine at a long communal table (the islands can host 14 couples at a time). Every Wednesday Head Chef Beni creates an outdoor kitchen space on the edge of the island where he teaches guests to create traditional Fijian dishes, like Kokoda (fresh fish marinated in lime juice, chopped vegetables, and fresh coconut milk), Ika Tavu (fresh fish cooked on charcoals), Tuba Vakasoso (crab cooked in coconut milk), and Ika Suruwa (fish with fresh curried coconut milk).

Spice Education In Grenada

Island of Spice, Grenada is a haven for rich flavors. At Silversands Grenada , a new roster of cooking classes have been introduced to teach guests the flavor profiles that are signature to the island. Options range from the do’s and don’ts of baking with chocolate to preparing Indian, Halal, Grenadian, or even Thai food — all with the help of the resort’s chefs and local talents like Chef Joachim. Every experience is curated to the individual guest’s preferences, meaning there’s plenty of room to explore and enjoy.

Holistic Flavors In The Maldives

With its crystal clear turquoise waters, lush jungles, and immersive properties, there are few places on earth as scenic as the Maldives. At JOALI BEING , three signature kitchens in open-air dining spaces set the tone for the food programming, which includes ocean-to-table pescatarian fare. The island’s learning center offers educational workshops and nutritional cooking classes where guests can learn how to prepare food that nourishes, heals, and delights.

Ceviche Class In Peru

Many journey to Peru to witness Machu Picchu, but while there you should also check in at Las Qolqas , a newly-opened eco-resort located in the heart of the Sacred Valley. The property has an immersive ceviche cooking class (with the option to add on a Pisco cocktail lesson) that’s held within a beautiful greenhouse surrounded by scenic views. Work with handpicked organic ingredients to craft the perfect ceviche to nibble on with the signature drink of Peru: the Pisco Sour.

Pizza Making In Rome

Is there anything more iconic than learning how to make pizza in Italy? At Hotel Eden in Rome, guests can join the top chefs in the kitchen to discover their secrets to making the property’s famous pizza dough. Test your rolling pin skills and add a slew of tasty toppings before firing it up in the oven.

Hand-Rolled Truffles In Arizona

Scottsdale brings a lot to the table — Sonoran desert views, distinct art and architecture, wellness getaways, and world-class dining — so it should come as no surprise that cultural activities like cooking classes abound in this corner of the southwest. At Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows the hotel’s restaurant Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen offers a seasonal hand-rolled truffles class led by pastry chef Morgan Malzahn that uses indigenous ingredients, as well as a pasta-making lesson with Chef Dushyant Singh.

Wild Foraged Plants In Loire Valley

France’s Loire Valley is beloved for its lush gardens and orchards and at La Grange aux Savoir-Faire near the city of Tours, guests can make the best of the region’s bounty with a nutritional cooking class. Forage for plants and flowers from the garden and forest in their Wild Picking & Cooking Edible Plants workshop that teaches how to cook with things like ground ivy, lugwort, plantain, hogweed, and bentonite.

Paella Preparation In Spain

Set on the Mediterranean Sea in southern Spain, Marbella is a destination for beach-dwellers and foodies alike. Puente Romano Beach Resort has crafted a special experience that introduces guests to the ins and outs of Paella. The property’s local chefs teach the origins of the traditional dish using locally-sourced ingredients, like olive oil sourced from Malaga and herbs and garnishes provided fresh from the resort’s garden. Finish the class by sampling the paella alongside a glass of local Spanish wine.

This article was originally published on Oct. 21, 2022

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Learn to cook sicilian at these 5 top cooking schools.

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Sicilian cuisine is an intriguing melange that developed over centuries, the result of an endless stream of conquerors—Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Normans, and Spanish—that shaped the island’s culture and cooking. Learning about a destination through its food is one of travel’s great delights, of course; a good way to do that (beyond all the restaurant “research”) is to take cooking lessons in situ. It can help you connect to a locale in deliciously simple yet profound ways.

Here are classes and culinary sessions throughout Sicily, many held in historic settings, where you can try your hand at this distinct form of Italian cuisine, get a better understanding of the island’s past and traditions, and have a scrumptious meal.

Palermo: A Day Cooking with the Duches s

Nicoletta Polo Lanza Tomasi, Duchess of Palma, in her kitchen.

To get a glimpse of insider Sicily while polishing your culinary skills, it’s hard to beat “A Day Cooking with the Duchess” in Palermo. During the course you learn to prepare an authentic Sicilian pranzo under the guidance of an Italian duchess, Nicoletta Polo Lanza Tomasi, who also happens to be an expert cook. The location is one of the city’s most notable residences, the Palazzo Lanza Tomasi, a former of home of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, who wrote The Leopard. (The best-selling and now iconic novel was made into the famous Luchino Visconti movie, Il Gattopardo .) Lanza Tomasi, the Duchess of Palma, teaches throughout the entire session, which starts briskly at 8:30 AM (and runs to 3-3:30 PM) with a visit to Palermo’s buzzing Il Capo market to buy fresh produce for making lunch. Another stop is in the palazzo’s gardens for herbs and fruit that will also be used for the meal. “The class is hands-on, and all students must participate in the preparation of the menu,” says Lanza Tomasi. No particular skill level is required, she says, with students varying from “absolute beginners to experienced cooks.”

All students, regardless of skill level, take part in the class.

During class students tackle everything from appetizers to dessert. Naturally, there’s a pasta course to master “with one of the many delicious pestos and sauces Sicilian cuisine is known for,” says Lanza Tomasi. She also demonstrates how to prepare a secondo , or main course, with meat or fish, as well as vegetable side dishes and dessert. The completed lunch is then served in the palazzo dining room.

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Lanza Tomasi points out that “my classes are not only about food. They also offer a unique cultural experience.” And they most certainly do. After lunch students are given the chance to tour the 18th-century palazzo and see the original handwritten manuscript for The Leopard, the author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s library, and historic family documents and portraits.

Palazzo Lanza Tomasi dates from the 18th century. Photo by Camillo Balossini/Archivio Camillo ... [+] Balossini/Mondadori Portfolio

The palazzo, one of the country’s Dimore Storiche Italiane, also has recently refurbished apartments that both participants in classes and non-students can book for overnight or extended stays.

Sicilian Countryside: Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School

Pasta with wild greens.

The late Anna Tasca Lanza , an aristocratic Sicilian and pioneering culinary personality, grew up at a time when the kitchen was typically terra incognita for a palazzo’s chatelaine, a place to be visited rarely (if ever). But Tasca Lanza, who had gone to finishing school in Switzerland, where she learned the basics of French cuisine (and, according to her bio notes, “how to be a good wife”) remained interested in cooking, and eventually, as she established her own household, found herself ”facing the stove.” In 1989 Tasca Lanza created the school on a plot of family land in the countryside near Vallelunga Pratameno, about two and a half hours by car from Palermo.

A view of the surrounding countryside.

The project began as a pastime, but Tasca Lanza soon saw it as a way to make authentic Sicilian food known beyond the stereotypes, and to increase awareness for its rich diversity outside of Italy. As an admired cookbook author, advocate for her native island’s multi-layered cuisine and history, Tasca Lanza’s work earned international acclaim. Today her daughter, Fabrizia, runs the school and culinary complex .

The school conducts classes and learning experiences of various length (one-day lunch lessons to in-depth six-week sessions), immersive stays and workshops hosted by prominent chefs and members of the Anna Tasca Lanza cookery staff. Among the guest-led workshops for 2024 are Vegetarian Family Cookery with chef and author, Claire Thomson (June 10-June 15), where students will learn how to create a range of vegetable dishes including tenerumi with squash leaves, as well as such Sicilian favorites as caponata and panelle (chickpea fritters). Sarah Owens, a renowned baker and James Beard award-winning author, will conduct Baking and Preserving Sicily (September 30-October 5) and show how to prepare breads and sweets with heirloom Sicilian grains; make preserves; and cook pizza using pestos and foraged ingredients. You’ll even learn how to craft vermouth. Another class, Delicious Sicily (October 14-19), led by chef and New York Time s food writer David Tanis, will delve into ways to maximize seasonal produce.

Making cassata.

During the one-day (for a minimum of two people) and two-day programs participants are shown how to prepare four-course meals using Tasca Lanza family recipes; the latter includes visits to the nearby Tasca d’Almerita winery and to a local ricotta cheese maker.

The school offers various housing options like Case Vecchie, where classes are held, and other properties near the school, including one on the Tasca d’Almerita wine estate.

Taormina: Villa Lawrence

A 1927 travel poster promoting the Italian town of Taormina. Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images

The kitchen in Villa Lawrence where cooking classes are held. D. H. Lawrence, and later, Truman ... [+] Capote, rented the villa when staying in Taormina.

When D.H. Lawrence, and later, Truman Capote, stayed in Taormina, they rented a stone house with lush gardens and sweeping views of the Ionian Sea. This idyllic haven, which came to be called Villa Lawrence, now provides a memorable backdrop for classes run by Louisa Vittorio (a relative of an earlier owner of the villa), whose family was written about in Capote’s, Fontana Vecchia . The villa still contains some of Lawrence’s books.

Vittorio oversees lessons at Villa Lawrence . The sessions typically start at 10 AM and run about four hours with demonstrations on how to prepare a full Sicilian meal, which is then sampled during the follow-up lunch. In good weather lunch is served on the villa terrace with those knockout views. Classes are designed for two or more people.

After lunch you can stroll in the garden, the site of a 2000-year-old Roman tomb. For longer stays there’s the nearby Villa Britannia (prior site of the classes) with two suites named after Lawrence and Capote that have terraces overlooking the sea. You can also rent the entire villa.

Mt. Etna, Catania, Siracusa and Taormina: Cotumè

Catania's Piscarìa, or fish market.

Cotumè taps into Sicily’s diverse cooking traditions by holding classes in locations throughout the island— Catania, Mt. Etna, Siracusa and Taormina. Participants can choose among lessons devoted to classic Sicilian specialties; mastering the fine art of making pasta; and learning the secrets of Sicilian street food. Certain sessions can be paired with wine or olive tastings. Pastry and pizza courses are available in Catania and Taormina, the latter at the Villa Zuccaro, where chefs are famous for turning out 50 varieties of the popular dish.

In Catania, classes are held at various venues like the Scammacca del Murgo Palace. Some begin with a visit to the foodie favorite, the Piscarìa, a renowned fish and produce market. In the Mt. Etna area, which the company describes as a “volcano of flavors,” courses take place at such top wineries as Benanti, located on the south-east side of the volcano, or at an olive-oil estate. The site for classes and tastings in Siracusa is either a Norman castle or 19th-century farmhouse. All bookings require a certain number of participants and need to be scheduled in advance. Cotumè also arranges in-villa cooking instruction. Special lunches or dinners can be organized in Catania’s magnificent Biscari Palace.

Ortigia (Siracusa): Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures

Ortigia in Siracusa.

Francesca Montillo, cookbook author and travel planner, organizes a number of trips to Italy each year through her company, Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures. Montillo, born in Italy but now based in the U.S., typically hosts a week-long trip to Sicily each September. While the 2024 excursion is sold out, Montillo creates custom tours. “All of our public culinary adventures are available as private trips for groups of six or more,” she says. Her Sicilian program is based in Ortigia (in southeast Sicily), an island that’s home to Siracusa’s centro storico.

The itinerary includes visits to food markets, foodie walking tours and cooking lessons, one located at a farm that produces many of its own products, including extra virgin olive oil, saffron, and ancient flours. “We do like the locals do, and plan our menu based on our findings at the market,” she says. One class focuses on learning how to cook the Sicilian favorite, arancini. “Arancini are Sicily’s most popular street food,” says Montillo. ”They are made differently based on the city,”she explains, so their taste varies depending on whether you’re in Palermo, Syracuse or Ragusa. The Sicily trip also includes visits to Noto, Taormina, Etna and Ragusa

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This event allows high school students to compete in a hands-on culinary experience against other schools from around the world. Participants will hear from top colleges and universities about career options in the culinary and hospitality field. Cook Around The World gives students the chance to learn and hear from top celebrity chefs.

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Russia's Nuclear Deterrent Command Center Imperiled by Winter Freeze—Report

A Russian nuclear deterrent command center in Moscow has been imperiled by power outages that have impacted more than one-quarter of the region's cities amid freezing temperatures, a Russian Telegram channel has reported.

The VChK-OGPU outlet, which purports to have inside information from Russian security forces, reported that the 820th Main Center for Missile Attack Warnings—part of the Russian Space Forces, a branch of the country's Aerospace Forces—near Solnechnogorsk in Moscow is without power.

It serves as the space forces early warning network against potential ballistic missile attacks.

The development comes as Russians are reported to be suffering from power outages in their homes in the Moscow region caused by technical issues at plants amid subzero temperatures.

On January 4, a heating main burst at the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant in the town of Podolsk, which is about 30 miles south of central Moscow. Since then, tens of thousands of Russians are reported to have no heating in their homes.

Affected areas include the cities of Khimki, Balashikha, Lobnya, Lyubertsy, Podolsk, Chekhov and Naro-Fominsk, a map published by a Russian Telegram channel and shared on other social media sites shows.

Other Russian media outlets reported that in Moscow, residents of Balashikha, Elektrostal, Solnechnogorsk, Dmitrov, Domodedovo, Troitsk, Taldom, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Krasnogorsk, Pushkino, Ramenskoye, Voskresensk, Losino-Petrovsky and Selyatino are also without power.

The Telegram channel said that at the 820th Main Center for Missile Attack Warnings, "the crew...is on duty around the clock."

"It is here that the decision on a retaliatory nuclear strike is executed," the channel said.

Newsweek could not independently verify the report and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry by email for comment.

Power outages have also been reported in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, in the country's western Voronezh region, in the southwest city of Volgograd, and in Rostov, which borders Ukraine, a country that Russia has been at war with since February 24, 2022.

On Sunday, two shopping malls in St. Petersburg were forced to close because of problems with light and heating, reported local news outlet 78.ru. Hundreds of other homes in the city have had no electricity, water or heating for days amid temperatures of -25 C (-13 F).

Russian authorities have also been forced to compensate passengers of a train that ran from Samara to St. Petersburg (a 20-hour journey) without heating during -30 C (-22 F) temperatures. Videos circulating on social media showed carriage windows frozen over. A passenger also said the toilet didn't work during the trip because of frozen pipes.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via [email protected].

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• Winter Freeze Threats Come Back To Bite Russia As Power Outages Spread

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