Wok Your World with a Cooking Class!

Cooking classes are a top tier option for the solo, female senior traveler. I heartily recommend this as an easy (lots of online options) safe (read the reviews) entertaining and eye-opening way to explore the cuisine of a new country. Food preparation offers a unique and yummy peek into a national culture

I took my first class on a trip to Southeast Asia, stopping in a small village for the afternoon on my way to Hoi An. Tra Que Garden was a delightful, “plan on a whole day”, organic, farm-to-table experience like none I’ve had before or since.

Appetizing Apps

Closed since the pandemic but planning to open again soon, Tra Que Garden is an organic farming collective in the Hai Bà Trưng (Trưng Sisters District), one of the four original urban districts (quận) of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. On the day I visited, two other travelers joined in my cooking and dining experience. Tra Que owners Mr. Hòa (Jamie), Mrs. Hiền (Helen ) welcomed us with large iced pitchers of lemonade scented with fresh lime and cucumber slices while we enjoyed individual foot massages after a refreshing herbal soak. All this prior to the actual class!

Totally Organic

We learned all about the organic gardening techniques of the area farmers, their natural pesticide alternatives and took turns plowing and planting in the restaurant’s herb garden. The collective uses no farm machinery but still relies on time-tested methods of oxen and mules to pull heavy equipment. All harvesting is done by hand.

While our instructor taught us the art of decorative food carving for each course, her assistant was prepping each course for us to saute, deep fry, steam and finally to enjoy sampling our culinary brilliance!

Our menu:

Tra Que Fresh Spring Roll (Gỏi Cuốn) – Traditional Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (goi cuon) with pork, shrimp, lettuce and herbs wrapped in soft chewy rice paper and decorated with vegetable flowers. In fact, every dish we made was decorated with flowers, swans or some type of adornment. I swear it improved the already succulent flavors of each dish.

Banana Flower Salad (Gỏi) – shredded banana blossoms with red cabbage, white onions, and red bell peppers and topped off with minced mint and coriander, roasted peanuts and a generous pour of a fish sauce dressing blending everything together in a mouthful of sweet, sour and savory goodness.

Every city offers culinary tours, foodie strolls, food truck dining experiences and cooking classes.

Before you travel, research options to add a cooking class in the cities you’ll be visiting. Tripadvisor is always a great source of information since they always include many recent reviews from verified customers, (I’m THAT person who reads the testimonials and asks a million questions about the experience).

It’s Not Just Italian Food

Cooking classes are more plentiful than you can imagine, literally there are hundreds happening all over Europe right this moment where you can spend an afternoon not only cooking but actually shopping in the local farmer’s market for produce in Paris, creating chocolate confections in Brussels or assembling the perfect paella in Barcelona.

For a real on the street experience with someone who knows the cuisine of a city, I love the “Foodie Tours” offered by Eating Europe! Click the link to check them out.

And always, Eat Responsibly (wink!)