UPDATED MAR 2020. We all know that Italians are known for their amazing food, right? If in America people fight with each other over the color of their football jersey, in Italy they would fight over the ingredients in the perfect ragu. Cooking here isn’t just a chore where you whip together something edible. There is a passion that is evident in each step of the cooking experience. From picking the ingredients to the cooking processes to stopping to sit and enjoy the meal. Today I am excited to share this post with you because I get to showcase a wonderful local business where you can experience an authentic Italian cooking class in Umbria.
Don’t Miss This Amazing Italian Cooking Class In Umbria
Disclaimer:
This post was written in partnership with Let’s Cook In Umbria.
FAQ for this cooking class in Umbria
Where is it located?
Umbria, Italy.
What’s offered in the classes?
Cooking class, recipes, apron, and certificate. They also offer farm stay accommodation and local tours if needed.
How much does it cost?
It depends on how long your stay is, how many people, and if you choose to add extras to your tour.
What is the style of the classes?
Local, family-run, authentic style.
Who are these cooking classes suited for?
Anyone looking for an authentic experience while traveling in Italy.
Which is the closest train station?
Perugia station.
How do you book?
How to book
I contacted the owner, Rafaella, to book my cooking class and stay. I didn’t know where to start and she helped me to find a class best suited for me.
Once I arrived, Raffaella met me with a warm smile and showed me to my apartment for the night. I had a bed, bathroom, kitchen, and breakfast items. As I looked out the windows, I also had the most picturesque view of the Italian countryside.
It’s set up to be self-sufficient so you will need to bring your own soap and shampoo. Other than that, it has everything you need.
You can pick up some food from town and practice your cooking in the apartment. Or if you prefer to dine out, there are a number of nice places to eat.
I went to Trattoria Della Volte for dinner and had a delicious meal of pasta and tiramisu.
This is a fantastic cooking class in Umbria if you want an authentic experience.
The cooking class setting
After a refreshing sleep, I had a cup of tea and watched the sunrise over the mountains. I have to say it wasn’t a bad way to start the day.
Then I walked from my apartment over to the main area of the house and waited for the class to begin.
The living room is decorated with children’s paintings and other family treasures, and a small fire crackled in the fireplace which added to the cozy ambiance.
The class I took was a small class with just two others in the group – a lovely mother and son duo who were traveling around Europe and were taking a class for the day to add to their Italian chapter of the travel journey.
They too were Australian so it was nice to hear the accent again and connect with people from back home.
What to expect during the class
In our class, we worked together to make four dishes and we had the expert knowledge and hands-on approach of Rafaella guiding us the whole way.
We made our own bread, pasta, pasta sauce, pork tenderloin, sauce for the pork, and even a cake. Spoiler alert, it was all delicious and I’m still thinking about it.
Along the way, Raffaella explained variations of everything we were making, some history behind the food and its significance to the region, and also, most importantly, the skillful tips we needed to take our cooking to the next level.
Obviously, I would not share those tips here, you will have to experience the class to get those trade secrets, but I will say that they have helped my own cooking at home greatly.
It’s interesting because I would’ve always thought that a meal such as the one we made, with everything from scratch, would be a big production and take a whole day to make.
But I was surprised to learn that with all the tricks that Raffaella shared and how she managed her time, we were able to put it all together in the space of our class.
It shot my whole ‘I don’t have time’ excuse well out of the water and also inspired me to cook more.
Luckily, we were given printouts of the recipes so that we could also recreate everything back at home which I am very excited to try.
Eating the food you cook!
The best part? Afterward, we got to sit down together and eat what we had made, with a glass of wine produced right there on the farm.
The wine is available for purchase and you can bet that I bought a couple of bottles to take home with me. (If you watch my Instagram stories you may remember my fun backpack full of wine situation as I walked around town and I can assure you they made it home safely!)
I love meeting people so, for me, one of the coolest parts of the experience was being able to join with other travelers for the class and chat with them over the meal.
They had many interesting travel stories to share.
Types of cooking classes in Umbria
I signed up for a one day class – we started at 9:30 in the morning and finished at about 2 in the afternoon, though there are many other options available such as 3, 4 and 7-day classes.
If you are staying for the longer tours you get the opportunity to cook in the morning and then go out to explore the surrounding area for the afternoon and evening giving you a balanced mix of cooking classes and sightseeing.
Raffaella can also assist with organizing private, guided tours of the city if that is more your style.
I arrived the day before the class by train, stayed the night in the farm stay accommodation, took the class the next day then looked around the city before taking the train home.
Overall thoughts
If you are looking to add an authentic experience to your travels and improve your cooking skills while you’re at it, then this would be the perfect addition to your itinerary.
Whether you visit for the day to attend the class or stay in the accommodation for a longer visit, I am confident you will enjoy it.
I love finding local businesses like this and sharing them with you guys here on the blog, it’s truly a passion of mine and as always I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
For more information:
Contact: Raffaella
Website: http://www.cookinumbria.it
Phone: +39 340 646 1480
Other guides to help you plan your trip to Italy
A Practical Guide On How To Hike The 52 Tunnels Trail In Italy
Maximize Your Visit With This Guided Tour Of The Colosseum In Rome
Day Trips From Vicenza – 5 Easy Public Transport Friendly Outings
It looks delicious! I love pasta!
Me too!
So cool and fun! 😀 I have been on a cooking clas in India, cause I love indian food, but never in Italy. Maybe I should 😉
A cooking class in India sounds like a lot of fun! Maybe you have to come do one in Italy and now I have to go to India for one!
This sounds amazing! We’re looking to do a cooking class while we’re in Tuscany and this looks fantastic. We might have to squeeze it into our plans! Thanks for sharing!
I hope you have a great time in Tuscany Danielle and hope you can squeeze in a fun cooking class 🙂
Katie, my mouth is watering. Thank you for the suggestion, I hope I get to check this out. looked like a fantastic experience.
It was so much fun, I hope you get to do one soon 🙂
This is awesome! I’ve always wanted to take a cooking place and what better place than Italy! It’s one of my favorite cuisines.
One of my favorite cuisines too! So much good food in Italy, it felt like the perfect place to learn.
I think food is always a big part of culture. Learning about what people eat and how they cook it has always been important to me. Add in good company and it makes the setting perfect!
That’s so cool that you’re interested in the culture and cooking traditions. We would get along well I think 🙂
I’ve always wanted to take a cooking class – this food looks incredible!
It tasted incredible too! I hope you get to do a cooking class sometime. It was so much fun!