Country Vacations & Resorts

Ever heard of a cooking holiday? Probably. And almost certainly it was in the same sentence with Italy or Tuscany. There is no better place on earth to combine a relaxing vacation at some splendid Tuscan villas while learning to cook delicious gourmet food. Of course you also get to eat it!

What is a cooking holiday?

In its simplest form, a vacation during which you take cookery lessons. Learning to prepare the typical dishes of the region where you are vacationing just comes natural, as the local culinary culture and its main ingredients will be all around you.

In Tuscany you will likely be learning to cook recipes like Pici and Ravioli Pasta, Ribollita Soup, Bordatino, Boar Stew, Tiramisù and many other traditional gourmet dishes.

Your course may be organized in several ways. You can choose a loose class schedule allowing you to doze off by the poolside of your Tuscan villa, or have your days pivot around your five-hour daily cooking class. Some accommodations even feature a visit to the most important areas of food production where you will learn how local Tuscan cuisine intertwines with the region’s rural tradition.

There are several agencies offering packages including your accommodation plus a tailored cooking course. However, unless you need a highly customized holiday involving lots of planning and coordinating, the advice is to let go of any intermediaries. Why should you bear the (sometimes very expensive) extra charge? Just rely on direct booking and personal communication with property owners. Tuscan owners love to give you the details of their work and meet your requests, as they take pride in it. Just let them know your needs, or ask for any available cooking program they run. They have all the ins and outs on their fingertips and will tell you right away what they can or cannot do, often going that extra mile for you.

Whether you decide to visit Tuscany as a family, a solo traveler or as part of a large group, a cookery class is an excellent fit for your holiday. Solo travelers will have a chance to meet other guests at the property in a jolly atmosphere, while families and large groups will be in for some serious fun and unforgettable moments to share and remember for a long time. This is what happens at La Casetta del Borgo, where guests can enjoy the splendid residence and take advantage of the cuisine lessons, and also at La Locanda Cuccuini, where organic food grows on the property estate and is the main ingredient of its kitchen.

A cooking holiday in Tuscany is a special way to enrich your travel experience, literally making it more flavorful. This time you will not only taste delicious gourmet food, but will also learn how to recreate it it in your home, and each time you will relive a joyful memory.

Matt from ThriftyTuscany.com wrote this guest post. He enjoys discovering and writing on Italy, helping with useful, local advice. Matt recommends staying in Tuscan villas to experience the essence of this land.

Thanks Matt – I’m ready to “Pack my knives…”