Cooking classes in Puglia

A cooking course to discover the Italian and Apulian cuisine!

If you choose our Italian language and cooking classes in Puglia you will discover the typical dishes of Italian and Apulian cuisine like the home-made pasta. The Italian language and cooking classes in Puglia is designed for students who wish to combine Italian language and food culture

The Apulian cuisine, a unique cuisine

The “Italian language and cooking class in Italy” is the best occasion for sampling the products of a unique cuisine. These and many more dishes are served in the “putèe”, the typical Apulian restaurants where the traditions of popular cuisine are preserved. The Apulian dishes are surprising: home-made pasta, cakes with honey and accompanied with fried fish, a complex, dried salted cod sauce, round bread rolls with mysterious insignia, pod-shaped honey cakes that allude to ancient Egyptian divinities.

All of these dishes have borrowed directly from cultures of the Mediterranean Basin and beyond, attesting to Apulia’s role as the meeting point of the most ancient of civilizations.

Apulian gastronomy: an old cultural tradition

The province of Lecce has, without a doubt, a Mediterranean look about it. Its hot climate and vicinity to the sea, added to being so far south, are ideal for the growth of “weed” and olive trees. The entire territory is covered with olive groves, from which the delicious Pugliese olive oil is pressed. In many parts the rows of olive trees are alternated with large vineyards; vine-growing provides one of the area’s main sources of income. The wines produced in this region are full of body and are particularly suitable for making vermouth. The wine and the olive-oil are two foundamental components of the Salentine cuisine.

Program of the Italian cooking course in Apulia:

Cooking classes in Puglia are held 2 times per week or one time per week in the full equipped kitchen of the school: students will prepare with the help of the cook the typical dishes of Italian and regional cuisine. The teacher is well trained but he is not a professional. Don’t expect a “professional” cooking class.

For the Italian language and cooking classes in Italy we propose the following program but it can be modified according to the students’ needs:

• preparation of typical Italian and Apulian “antipasti”;
• course of typical home-made pasta (orecchiette, minchiareddhi e sagne torte) according to the old Apulian tradition;
• preparation of various recipes with pasta;
• preparation of the fish and mussels;
• preparation of various types of “focacce”;
• preparation of the most characteristic sweets.

Starting dates of the Italian language and cooking class in Italy: every week
Duration: 1 or more weeks
Lessons: 1, 2 or 3 times per week; the cooking course can be combined with the Italian course.
Dates and Prices

Our students say about Italian language and cooking classe in Puglia (Apulia region)

Ciao Barbara!
My head is still in beautiful Otranto. I had a great time meeting everyone and being in such a stupendous place. I’ve been showing pictures and explaining the Pizzica to everyone. I wanted to make a sauce with “ricotta forte” but I couldn’t find it here. I made pizza instead. The classes really helped my understanding of the more difficult grammar as well. Thank you!
Hope to return soon!
Sincerely,
Deanna – Student

I spent one week at Scuola Porta d’Oriente doing an intensive Italian class with Barbara and two afternoons cooking Apulian traditional food at her beautiful countryside Trulli kitchen/home. Both courses were absolutely amazing. Barbara’s teaching was well-planned and interesting both linguistically and culturally. Thank for the wonderful learning experience!

Anke Riede