Experiential travel here in Spain – and around the world – is still enjoying a massive boom. Experiencing the local culture through immersion, whether for an hour, a day or a week, gastronomic, musical or artistic, is an essential part of most visitors’ stays. Think trying out a flamenco class or cooking a Spanish meal.
Some years ago, I tried a cooking class at Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen in Vejer. This ebullient Scottish chef offers one-day classes in her house, or longer tours which take in various towns in the area, including Jerez – her love of Sherry is infectious – as well as further afield. It was an extremely enjoyable day. I’ve also taken a class with the Taller Andaluz de Cocina, based in Triana market here in Seville, which I wrote about in this Lonely Planet guide to Andalucia.
Last November (2024) I was invited to take part in a cooking class here in Seville, part of a Let’s Eat the World Culinary Vacation. The company was founded by Yetunde Oshodi-Fraudeau, who hails from Nigeria via New York and France. Plenty of culinary expertise there, along with a dynamic sense of curiosity which she shares with Annie B – always searching for new ideas, new countries to reveal to her travellers.
Yetunde runs cooking holidays in France, Spain, Italy, Georgia, Colombia and Peru, with more countries in the pipeline. She offers experiences where you can “immerse yourself in the culinary heritage and connect deeply with the destination”, in small groups with a convivial atmosphere.
My taster (sorry) was a Monday morning cooking class with four other budding cooks, from the US, UK and Cyprus. Thomas, from LA, has been a repeat customer for the past decade. As the morning progressed, I could see why. Yetunde has a lightness of touch and charm that gently kept our activity on track, without ever being overbearing. She and Samuel had a great dynamic, creating a fun, gently didactic environment.
The group had already been together – they stay in the same three-storey rented house in the central Arenal district – for a couple of days, at the start of the week’s programme. The warm and friendly vibe that had already grown among the participants meant that I was sad to leave at the end of my morning.
The house is ideal for a group of cooks, with a first-floor L-shaped sitting room-diner-kitchen. It’s very light-filled, being on a corner, and easily accommodates everyone to sit and enjoy an aperitif, cook, and then sit around a table to enjoy the fruit of their labour. The bedrooms are all ensuite, and there’s a roof terrace too – this communal living scene would not suit everyone, but it certainly helps to create a delightful sense of community.
So what did we cook? With chef Samuel (above) – who cut his culinary teeth at three well-known but distinct hostelry establishments in Seville: the Alabadero cooking school and restaurant; Contenedor; and the Alfonso XIII – we made tomato and beetroot salmorejos, squid ink rice, and French toast. Samuel explained each step clearly, and also made everyone laugh with his cheeky Andalucian sense of humour. No stuffiness here, and plenty of banter.
We were each given our plum tomatoes to chop, and we added stale bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, and salt. We gradually squashed the ingredients down in the hand blender’s cup, whizzing it all together, and tasting regularly. I was impressed by how sharp the knives were – they sliced smoothly and effortlessly through the tomatoes. (Note to self: take my kitchen knives to a professional sharpener.) Each person’s salmorejo ended up a slightly different shade of orange-pink according to the proportions of their ingredients.
We did another round of salmorejo, this time with beetroot, giving it a deep pink shade and a sweet. earthy flavour. This classic Andalucian dish uses basic ingredients that are readily available all over the region and is a summer staple – both filling and refreshing.
Then it was time for an aperitivo break – cold meats (not my thing), large caper berries, chupadedo manzanilla olives. Literally, finger-lickin’ good, these deliciously aromatic beauties are marinaded in an aliño of garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, red peppers and vinegar. This spread was accompanied by a rosado (rosé) from Navarra.
Back to the stove for the black rice. We used arroz redondo (round rice), which absorbs liquid beautifully. Garlic, a bay leaf, pimentón dulce (sweet paprika), and black squid ink, which had to be boiled for two minutes. Then the rice was added, followed by fish stock. The rice was cooked for around 15 minutes, cooled on a baking tray, then fried in batches for that exquisite crunchy crust, the socorrat.
Our dessert was torrijas, the Spanish version of French toast which is traditionally eaten at Easter. We dipped slices of bread into honey, cinnamon, either wine or milk, and then egg. Well coated and soaked, finally the slices were fried until crispy and golden.
Our tomato-only salmorejo was served in the typical way, garnished with chopped boiled egg and ham, while the beetroot version had queso fresco. The plates of black rice were framed by big, juicy gambas (prawns) positioned in an inverted heart shape as the spectacular finishing touch for serving.
The rice was one of the best I’ve ever eaten, with a rich, succulent flavour which stayed with me all afternoon, accompanying the satisfied after-glow I felt both from the meal and from the company.
Yetunde’s holidays are complete and well thought-out, including local bar and restaurant recommendations for guests, so they can explore the city independently. The Seville one, into which I dipped my toe, includes plenty of classic Andalucian and Spanish activities. A wine tasting, a sherry bodega visit in Jerez, a flamenco lesson, a market tour, Alcazar Palace visit, and learning to make classics like tortilla and paella, as well as meals out together in Seville – and plenty of free time.
When I asked the aficionado chefs why they had chosen to do a Let’s Eat the World holiday, rather than another, they replied that they wanted to stay in Seville itself. They prefer to be able go out and about to get the flavour of the place, rather than being in a more remote countryside location. And, of course, for those who have already travelled with Yetunde, it’s a no-brainer. They know how excellently planned and enriching are the holidays that she offers – the trust and confidence that is gold for a travel company.
You can see the programme of Let’s Eat the World tours for 2025 here.