The best part of international travel? The food, of course.
Whether your passport is accumulating stamps in Asia or Central America, if you're an adventurous eater abroad, you're seeking out flavors that you've never experienced before -- so you can . recreate those flavors in your own kitchen once you're back home.
In addition to filling your suitcase with local ingredients, specialty cookware and all the cookbooks you can carry, why not add a cooking class to your itinerary? You'll get tips from the pros, learn new culinary techniques -- and have an excellent meal in the bargain.
Learn to cook Kerala's finest food in the Syrian-Christian tradition in the welcoming home of chef
Nimmy Paul. You'll learn local recipes like the impossibly lacey local bread called
pallappam, as well as some of Nimmy Paul's favorite family recipes. You can sign up for a cooking demonstration, a meal, or even an overnight stay.
Demystify Mexico's diverse cuisine at
Sazon, the cooking school of luxury boutique hotel Casa de Sierra Nevada, in San Miguel de Allende. Several classes are on offer, catering to different interests. One class includes a trip to the local market for provisions, before returning to the kitchen to prepare the day's bounty; another class focuses on Mexico's healthy cuisine; still another covers the differences in Mexico's many regional styles of cooking.
Yes, it's true: Dubai is not in Japan. But this most international city is home to a terrific class in the art of Teppanyaki at the
Radisson Blu Royal Dubai -- using locally caught seafood. Bonus: the classroom is on the 50th floor with great views of the fanciful buildings that line Sheikh Zayed Road.
All bakers know that the best bread starts with the best grain. At
Tasmania's Companion Bakery, you'll have the chance to see grain pulverized into flour at a restored mill, make sourdough with wild yeast, among other carby delights.
Whether you want to learn your way around foie gras, or how to turn out sushi and sashimi like a pro, the
InterContinental Hong Kong has got you covered. The chefs at the hotel's restaurants, which include SPOON by Alain Ducasse and NOBU will take a few hours of your Hong Kong Saturday and feed you well while imparting their knowledge. Bear in mind that the classes take a break during the steamy summer months.
A day of diving in the Caribbean becomes much more interesting when your dinner is at stake. At
Four Seasons Resort in Nevis, spend a day diving for spiny lobster, and then learn how to prepare them properly during a cooking class on the beach.
Three hours. Five courses. Traditional Thai cooking. What more do you need to know? The classes are held at Cafe Mozu at
Lebua's all-suite hotel in Bangkok. Rates start at $160 per person.
