Traditional Cretan Cooking Experience, Chania

Discover the flavors and traditions of rural Crete with this cooking experience at a family farmhouse high in the White Mountains. After a scenic drive from Chania, you'll meet your gracious hosts and start with a walk around the vegetable garden to pick some herbs and produce. Learn about how Crete is the largest producer and exporter of olive oil in Greece, hear why its other major exports, including grapes and vegetables, are so renowned, and discover the history of these ingredients, as well as the various uses and secrets of local herbs such as dittany.

Next, put your new knowledge to use as you help prepare traditional Cretan recipes. Top local rusk bread with freshly diced tomatoes and cheese to make a dakos (Cretan salad), and mix up yogurt with cucumber and garlic for a perfect tzatziki, and learn the secrets to a perfect kalitsouni (Cretan cheese pie), a delicious specialty of the island. These are just a few examples of the dishes you might make in this class, although the options can vary according to the season.

Throughout the day, find out about different customs of Crete, such as the island's centuries-old weaving practice, and learn about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, believed to be the healthiest in the world. Enjoy a glass (or two) of Cretan wine and sample local cheeses, then sit down for a leisurely multicourse meal with a scenic backdrop of mountains and sea. Make sure to save room for dessert, as there'll be a variety of traditional jar sweets to taste at the end. After saying your goodbyes, you'll head back to Chania with commemorative photos of your day in the countryside and a selection of local recipes to take home.