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| The flavour of culinary travel |
| by Lynn Eaton * National Account Manager * Spencer Travel |
Some of us travel the world seeking the best beach to lie on, the best mountains to ski, or perhaps the best spa experience or wildlife adventure. Others get their enjoyment from learning to cook, sampling new flavours and aromas wherever they go. The popularity of culinary travel has increased over the past few years with more people looking for a special gourmet vacation in a beautiful and relaxing destination. If you love to travel and explore the cuisines of other lands, these package tours are for you. There are many cooking schools available throughout the world and we have chosen to highlight a selection to give you a taste of the gourmet experiences that are available.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thai cuisine has gained popularity all over the world for its fresh flavours, healthy ingredients and low fat cooking methods. Lanna’ the name of the region around Chiang Mai means ‘a million paddy fields’ and the Four Season’s Cooking School is set in the Mae Rim valley, overlooking terraced rice fields and misty mountains. The hands-on lessons at the stunning Lanna Cooking School are undoubtedly the most luxurious way to learn to cook!
This custom designed cooking school offers classes suitable for novice and experienced cooks alike. Six days a week, enthusiasts learn the secrets of Thai curries, soups, noodles, salads and thai appetizers at the Lanna Terrace Kitchen.
The 3 day Thai Culinary package includes 3 nights accommodation, daily American breakfast, round trip airport transfers, visit to the local market, 2 cooking school classes from AUD1600.00 per person share twin.
Tuscany, Italy
That easygoing Italian way of life that visitors find so alluring and desirable, la dolce vita, is indisputably linked to the Italians' instinctive knowledge of how to drink and eat well. Experience firsthand the good tastes of Tuscany. We have designed our cooking and wine classes to expose you to an intimate side of that Italian lifestyle that is so appealing to all.
Spend a week at Villa Pandollfini with hands-on instruction by professional Italian chefs. Menus vary according to the seasonal cuisine and are universally appealing. The goal is to expose you to all of the Good Tastes of Tuscany. We guarantee an unforgettable experience.
The 7 day Tuscan Adventure and Cooking school commences on a Saturday and includes sightseeing and visiting the local markets and vineyards, 5 days cooking under the instruction of the world renown Villa Pandolfini chefs, perfecting the skills of Tuscan cooking in the original 14th century kitchen. You will focus on pasta. What would Italy be without it! Different pasta making techniques are discussed; stuffed pastas, coloured and flavoured pastas, along with many different sauces and how to match them with different types of pastas. Risotto and the secrets of what makes a great risotto are also studied. Also in focus are salads and soups as there are many dishes in Tuscany that focus on soups in the winter and salads in the summer using old bread and the wonderful variety of vegetables in season. Then there are the meat, fish and game dishes with their accompaniments of vegetables. Finally flans and wonderful desserts including traditional Tiramisu. Crostata di Frutta Fresca con Zabaglione (Fresh Fruit tart drizzled with Zabaglione Cream), Panna Cotta with fresh berries and Cioccolatisima (rich Chocolate Cake).
The price of € 2,200 per participant is inclusive of accommodation, welcome and farewell dinners at the Villa Pandolfini Estate, a visit to the central market in Florence with lunch and transfers, Southern Tuscany Day Tour including breakfast, lunch, wine tasting and pizza dinner, local market trip, transfers and light lunch in Artimino, 4 days intensive cooking and instruction from the chefs, all food ingredients, lunch on the 4 cooking days, the final farewell dinner, buffet breakfast on the last day, a 'Good Tastes of Tuscany' apron and your recipe book as well as all taxes.
Provence, France
France, the universal food and wine lovers country! This passport to Provence is a four day course on Art de Vivre, the art of fine cuisine and good living in the South of France. This is a delightful residential course on culinary traditions in Provence and runs over 4 days and 5 nights.
The Hostellerie Berard is an elegant hotel set in the enchanting ancient hilltop village of La Cadiere d'Azur in Provence, dominating the fertile vineyards and orchards of Bandol on one side and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea on the other. You arrive on Sunday evening and depart on Friday morning. This cooking course is available all year round, except in July and August.
This culinary program offers an exceptional introduction to René Bérard's Provençal fare and its fabulous flavours and fragrances. Included in the program is 5 nights accommodation, 4 days introduction to Provencal Cuisine, visit to the local markets, cooking lessons in La Bastide des Saveurs, a visit to the local vineyards and oil mill, daily breakfast and lunch and welcome dinner on the Sunday evening.
Cost per person is $2812.00 single and $2303.00 per person share twin.
Please contact Lynn Eaton or Carissa Johnson from Spencer Travel on 9281 5477 or Carissa@spencertravel.com.au for or any further information or enquires. |
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